The stunning wave-shaped roof of the Aquatics Centre and the new Olympic Stadium.

MEMBERS of the public hoping to grab tickets for the London 2012 Olympics have been warned to be vigilant against crooks, touts and fraudulent websites.

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Tickets applications open after midnight tonight (Monday, March 14) but prior to the release the government has detailed some advice on its public information website, direct.gov.uk.

The message is a clear one: “The only way to buy tickets online in the UK is through the official website. Don’t buy a ticket from an unauthorised website or tout.”

With 500 days until the opening ceremony (July 27, 2012), applications for tickets will be accepted from Tuesday 15 March for six weeks, up until Tuesday April 26.

The only way to apply for tickets in the UK is on the official London 2012 website, by postal application from any Lloyds TSB branch, or from any public library in Northern Ireland.

Tickets will be balloted (not allocated on a first come first served basis), so there is no advantage to submitting an application on the first day or the last day.

Olympic officials said that this is to “ensure the fairest possible allocation of tickets for those sessions.”

Payment will be taken from all successful applicants between Tuesday May 10 2011 and Friday June 10 2011.

A statement on direct.gov.uk added: “More and more tickets are now being sold over the internet, and smart criminals know how easy it is to set up professional looking fake websites. Make sure you don’t fall for them.

“Don’t buy a ticket from an unauthorised website or tout. You risk being scammed, and not getting the ticket you wanted and paid for.

“If you find tickets for sale before March 15 2011 or available from any unauthorised source at anytime, don’t buy them. They are not genuine. Report it to Action Fraud or email London 2012 or contact your local police force.”

With nearly 11 million tickets available for the games, it is very different from other major sporting and cultural events – making it attractive to ticket touts.

As a result the government intends to increase the penalty for ticket touting. The fines for selling Olympic and Paralympic tickets without permission will rise from £5000 to £20,000.

For more information and to apply for tickets visit tickets.london2012.com.