LONDON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Britain on Friday said it

wanted to clamp down on resellers who profit by snapping up

tickets for big events and selling them on at huge mark-ups to

desperate fans, announcing proposals to cap resale prices and

hold reselling websites more accountable.

The government said it wanted to make ticket resales fairer

and more transparent, responding to consumers who often find hot

tickets are sold out in minutes and reappear almost instantly at

higher prices on third party websites.

"From sports tournaments to Taylor Swift - all too often big

events have been dogged by consumers being taken advantage of by

ticket touts," business minister Jonathan Reynolds said,

launching a public consultation on the plans.

"These unfair practices look to fleece people of their

hard-earned income, which isn't fair on fans, venues and

artists."

The government said it was exploring options such as a cap

on the price of ticket resales of up to 30% above face value. It

would also look at limiting the number of tickets resellers are

allowed to list; increasing accountability of resale websites

and apps; and tougher penalties for those who break the rules.

The consultation runs until April.

When tickets for music band Oasis's reunion went on sale in

August, fans were left frustrated as the three websites selling

tickets - Ticketmaster, See Tickets and Gigsandtours - reported

technical issues.

The Competition and Markets Authority said in early

September it was looking into the concerns regarding the sale of

Oasis tickets by Ticketmaster, including so-called "dynamic

pricing," the practice of pushing up prices that are in high

demand.

Separate to the consultation on reselling, the government

said on Friday it was asking for evidence into pricing

practices, including dynamic pricing, and would consider if

further action was needed.