His comments come after consumers' association Which? accused secondary sales websites of breaching rules, as the government prepares to end a public consultation on the matter.

Goldsmith cites the example of tickets to U2's recent London show, which had an official price of ?182 but could be found on resale sites for ?3300. He tells the BBC: "We're asking the government to pass a law which says you cannot sell a ticket for more than 10% of its face value."

Association of Independent Festivals boss Paul Reed says some sites are guilty of fraud. He says: "I don't think 'parasitic' is too strong a word for the secondary industry. This is an industry that's been allowed to grow on the back of the creative arts without reinvesting anything.