MUSIC fans have been urged to be on their guard against companies that fail to deliver concert and festival tickets.

Thousands of people across Britain fear they will be left out of pocket and with no tickets after an internet site called SOS Masterticket failed to send them tickets they had paid for.

Jill Bamford, from Southbourne, paid out £225 for two tickets to see George Michael at Earls Court on Sunday.

But she now fears she has been conned because the tickets have failed to arrive and SOS Masterticket has pulled the plug on its internet site and phone lines are dead.

"The website looked authentic when I booked the tickets in June but I have now found out that loads of people have been left without tickets for George Michael, the Reading Festival and other events," said Jill, 37.

"I am really disappointed because this was supposed to be a special treat for me and my boyfriend and we have already booked a hotel and coach tickets."

Jill said she hopes to get her money back because she paid by credit card but added: "We were really looking forward to it and counting down the days."

The Daily Echo was unable to contact SOS Masterticket.

The trading standards advice line Consumer Direct has received 430 calls over concert tickets so far in August, compared with 134 last month.

SOS has also failed to deliver passes for the V Festival and the Leeds festival.