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Rockers Iron Maiden are looking to a Wearside MP to tackle ticket touts.

Usually politicians are happy to win the support of their constituents or colleagues, but one North East MP has gained the backing of and the this week.

It's all because has decided to take on the scourge of music fans and artists - the ticket tout.

which is designed to prevent touts snapping up tickets and then offering them up at stratospheric prices to genuine fans.

The Washington and Sunderland West MP wants to put in place a system of fines for anyone caught selling on a ticket at more than 110% of its face value.

Attempts to beat touts in the past seem to have floundered and tickets for most popular events usually end up being resold on various websites at premium prices.

Sharon Hodgson points to the

Tickets with a face price of £55 disappeared almost immediately only to reappear online within hours at £1,000-a-pair.

Sharon Hodgson says touts exploit artists and fans.

: "The fact of the matter is that a few people are making large amounts of money by exploiting the hard work of people involved in the live entertainment industry and the passion of fans, whilst contributing nothing to either."

And those sentiments and her bill seem to have struck the right note (pun of the day) with the music industry.

The managers of Iron Maiden and the Arctic Monkeys have both voiced their support for Ms Hodgson.

Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood said he was "delighted" the bill had been tabled.

He said: "Something really has to be done about the plague of secondary ticketing.

"This is becoming a blight on anything and everything which involves people genuinely wishing to buy tickets at the intended price for popular events, be it music, sport or theatre."

. They say it could cause problems for genuine fans who have bought tickets only to find they cannot go.

But Sharon Hodgson says her bill will also compel the Government to work with promoters and ticket agencies to find a fair method of re-selling tickets in genuine circumstances.

Of course, as with almost every Private Members' Bill, it has almost no chance of becoming law. That would require government support.

But the Wearside MP has succeeded in raising the issue, and unusually getting herself onto the pages of rather than just the Sunderland Echo.

And after all it can't harm your street cred to be feted by some of Britain's top bands.

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