A group of MPs are calling on music fans to boycott the ticketing website Viagogo, after customers have been met with "nasty surprises".

Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins, who is chairman of the digital, culture, media and sport committee, slammed the site for failing to meet UK consumer protection law, following an investigation by the Competition of Markets Authority.

He said: "The biggest concern we've got is the way they've sold tickets on the secondary market.

"They've sold tickets they have not yet got possession of.

"There have been cases where basic information like the seat and the row number is not disclosed.

"Or they won't be allowed in because the venue does not allow resold tickets.

"People feel they are being ripped off and its time the law was properly enforced."

A report produced by the committee has advised customers not to use Viagogo.

He added: "People who have used the service have suddenly found there are nasty surprises, so they've turned up at the venue and been told can't get in because they haven't been told the full information.

A spokesman from Viagogo has said: "If someone is spending hundreds or almost thousands of tickets they need to know they are theirs to buy."

“We are disappointed that the Departments of the digital, culture, media and sports comittee have singled us out particularly, when hundreds of thousands of British citizens use our service to buy and sell tickets to their favourite live events every day and never experience any problems.

"We provide an invaluable service to UK consumers by giving them access to events in the UK and all over the world.

"For those transactions that fall into the 1% annually where customers do have an issue, the overwhelming majority of cases are due to the unfair and potentially illegal restrictions the event organisers pose simply because customers have chosen to purchase tickets from a competitor of theirs.

"We have been complying and will absolutely continue to work constructively with the Competition of Markets Authority to make further amends where necessary, all the while putting all of the buyers and sellers who use the platform first.”