Responding to a question from insidethegames, Robertson insisted that it was a matter for Finnish authorities, though Baroness Dee Doocey, a member of the House of Lords, has said that she will be writing to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to complain about the treatment of British customers by European ticket sellers for next year's Games.

As well as the allegations in Finland, Poland's official Olympic ticket seller is charging British customers £100 ($164/€113) in delivery fees alone, nearly ten times what the UK charge Europeans.

Sky News succeeded in obtaining tickets to the men's 4x100 metres and the synchronised diving finals from Finnish operator STM, having been told that there was a waiting list when originally attempting to purchase the tickets in English.

Doocey has said that she will complain directly to IOC chief Jacques Rogge, and said: "Why is it that in this country we obey the letter of the law and the rest of Europe tends to shrug their shoulders?

"I will be writing to Jacques Rogge of the International Olympic Committee demanding answers because this is disgraceful.

"I mean what are they going to do to enforce the law?

"We have been told when the Mayor was asked time and time again 'why can't we give priority to Londoners?'

"It can't be one rule for them and one rule for us."

Robertson has defended the ticket application process in the UK, which has come under increasing criticism after large numbers of people missed out on winning tickets to next year's Games.

"You will always have a lot of disappointed people when you have so many applicants," he said.

"No one suggested we do it a different at the start.

"No one knew there would be that many applications and it's the first Olympic city to have sold out so far in advance of the Games.

"It's easy to be wise in hindsight but no one spotted it at the time.

"Lots of people who were unsuccessful will go for Paralympic tickets and there is a family ticket which is a wonderful way of getting a bit of the Olympic magic."

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