Hi °C | Lo °C 
Fans of chart-topping pop band One Direction have been warned not to buy tickets from unscrupulous touts preying on “desperate” children and teenagers.
The warning was issued by Aiken Promotions ahead of the boyband's four sold-out shows at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast this week.
Tickets for the shows sold out within hours but demand is still high among hundreds of young fans. Tickets are exchanging hands on eBay. Most on the website are going for around £100 each, compared to the initial price tag of around £30. A set of four tickets are on offer for £450, while dozens of pairs are up for grabs for approximately £200.
And it's been revealed that some fans have fallen victim to a scam, with reports of tickets being purchased for a non-existent show at the Odyssey Arena on March 12.
<<Video: One Direction's Harry Styles hit in groin with flying shoe in Glasgow<<
The band play Belfast this Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday, but will be back in Dublin on Tuesday, March 12 for another two shows.
Advising parents and fans to avoid unofficial ticket outlets, a spokeswoman for Aiken Promotions said she had never witnessed such mania in the run-up to a boyband concert.
And parents are being encouraged to keep their youngsters away from the venue until the evening of the gig. Queueing will not be allowed before 5pm.
“All the shows are seated, so everyone with tickets will get in,” added the spokeswoman.
