Free shows in Fringe ticket 'sales' total

ORGANISERS of the city's Fringe Festival are under fire after they admitted massively inflating the number of ticket sales by including thousands of free shows in the figures.

An extra 120,000 ticket "sales" from free events such as the Laughing Horse festival were added to the total released this week, with a similar figure being added on last year, according to new figures released by the Fringe.

The move means the record sales figure of 1.95 million released this week is nowhere near as impressive as originally thought.

Organisers' decision to add on the free ticket figure has been disowned by the Laughing Horse's main promoter, Alex Petty. He said: "It leaves them open to claims of trying to massage box office figures."

Fringe spokesman Neil Mackinnon insisted free shows had become an "integral part of the Festival".