Ed Sheeran taking extreme measures to tackle ticket touts

Ed Sheeran is imposing strict identification rules on fans who buy tickets for the U.K. leg of his world tour in a bid to beat ticket touts.

Ticketholders will have to present four forms of identification - their ticket, a booking confirmation, the credit or debit card they bought the tickets with, and a valid identification document such as a driver's license or passport.

The measures have been introduced by Ed and his team in an attempt to prevent profiteers buying up tickets and then selling them on at hugely inflated prices.

"Ed and his team have a strict stance against anyone using secondary ticketing websites for profit," a statement issued by the Thinking Out Loud singer's record company Atlantic Records reads.

The statement also sternly warned fans that unless they bring the required documentation with them they will not be allowed into venues on his U.K. tour.

Fans who find they cannot attend a gig can resell their tickets at face value but must do so via the website Twickets.

Earlier this year (17) Ed's manager Stuart Camp furiously denounced touts who sold on tickets for a Teenage Cancer Trust charity show featuring Ed for prices up to $6,230 . The original price of attending the concert was $125 .

"That's a charity show, we put that show on to raise funds and people are just taking advantage, and it's something that needs to be controlled," he told TV news show BBC Breakfast.

Ed has seven dates in the U.K. scheduled for next year (18). The British leg of his tour culminates in two dates at London's Wembley Stadium in June next year (18).

He began his tour in March (17) and is currently trekking across the U.S.