Thirty four One Direction fans were turned away from a gig after an apparent tickets scam, it emerged last night.

Excited families paid £85 each for pairs of tickets and coach travel to see the band last Sunday (March 17) at Liverpool's Echo Arena with a paper invoice from Halton Community Trips, a Cheshire-based company to find that their seats were already taken.

Police are investigating and the head of the organisation which flogged them the tickets and organised the transport has been arrested.

Box office staff could only print six valid tickets. Angry John Cuthbertson, 39, said he paid the firm for his partner and daughter, 11, to see another 1D show at the arena on Easter Sunday (March 31). 

Tammy Foy, 35, of Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, who runs HCT with volunteers, was arrested on suspicion of fraud and freed on bail.

The Echo Arena said it had not sold tickets for either show to HCT. Police are asking anyone who has bought tickets from HTC for next Easter Sunday's concert to contact them.

Watch fan footage of One Direction performing 'One Way Or Another' at the Echo Arena, Liverpool last Sunday (March 17):