London New Year's Eve firework tickets snapped up by 'out-of-towners'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-33146133

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Almost three-quarters of tickets for London's New Year's Eve fireworks were bought by people living outside the capital, figures have shown.

Of 100,000 tickets, 27,746 were sold to residents for 2014's event.

Fiona Twycross, of London Assembly's Labour group, said the situation was "ridiculous" as local taxpayers "foot the bill" for the event.

But City Hall said the figures were "broadly in line" with estimates for previous years.

Mayor Boris Johnson introduced ticketing last year to try and control large crowds.

Londoners 'missing out'

Tickets sold out in advance and some appeared on resale websites at almost 20 times their value.

Ms Twycross said Mr Johnson's new system meant "thousands of Londoners" had missed out on the "iconic" celebrations.

"What we need for this year is for at least half the tickets to be reserved for Londoners," she added.

A City Hall spokesperson said ticketing was introduced to make sure the event was "sustainable and safe".

They said the numbers at previous events meant many Londoners were "unable to see anything" and that by issuing tickets, the city's residents were "guaranteed a view".