Tickets are selling for �400 a pair

Legendary opera stars Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras are due to perform in Bath on Thursday evening.

Tickets to the event in the city's historic Royal Crescent were given away free, but all 7,000 were snapped up quickly, with demand far outstripping supply.

Now some of those lucky enough to be allocated seats for the show are cashing in - one pair of tickets is being sold for �400 on internet auction site eBay.

Live relay

Another two tickets are being offered for sale at �500 for the pair.

The number of people who wanted to attend the concert was so high that the local council has set up two huge TV screens in a nearby park to allow more music fans to see the spectacular live.

The show could be the Three Tenors' last in the UK

But even these tickets - which were also free - were targeted by touts, with some of the 20,000 available selling for more than �25.

The Three Tenors concert is thought to be the last time the singers will perform together in the UK before Luciano Pavarotti retires in 2005.

It has been organised by YTL, the parent company of local utility firm Wessex Water, to celebrate the opening of Bath's new thermal spa complex.

Tickets were allocated by postal ballot, and Bath and North East Somerset Council is warning people without them not to attempt to get in to the show.

The council is asking those who do have tickets to travel by public transport if possible as parking near the event will be limited - a special park and ride service will be operating.