WAR has been declared on 'ticket dodgers' who cost the Three Counties Agricultural Society thousands of pounds a year.

An investigation by the Three Counties Agricultural Society has revealed widespread use of fraudulent badges and tickets, including one person who pretended to be blind to get a concession for his 'carer'.

A spokesman said the person had been spotted removing their dark glasses and taking the harness off their 'guide dog' before walking away unaided, at last year's Three Counties Agricultural Show.

The society, a non-profit making charity with a membership of 4,000, has pledged to prosecute people found trying to defraud it in future.

The organisation attracts more than 200,000 people to its three top events - the Spring Gardening Show in May, Three Counties Show in the summer and the Malvern Autumn Show.

Undercover security staff patrolled gates at last year's Three Counties Show to gauge the scale of the problem.

They recorded as many as five attempts every 30 minutes of people trying to gain unauthorised entry, ranging from abuse of official passes to passing back tickets.

Finance manager Gareth Smith said the loss had been put at £30,000, which the society could not absorb without action.

"£30,000 in revenue represents a staggering deficit to the society's income and a serious impact on its resources," he said. "In real terms, it means that capital investment schedules for improvements to the site are slowed down considerably.

"As a result, we will be implementing changes for better control in areas of both gate security and the distribution and usage of tickets and badges.

"More significantly, however, we intend to prosecute anyone attempting to defraud the society."

He said any money recovered as part of the crackdown wold go towards its development and maintenance plans, including plans to improve ventilation in Avon Hall and a facelift for the Severn Hall.

Standard non-member adult ticket prices for the forthcoming Spring Gardening Show are £12 for the Friday and £11 for the Saturday and Sunday. A spokeswoman said that was competitive.

"It's really a national event now," she said.

"If you compare it with things like Chelsea and some of the others, we are cheaper than they are and we still offer all the gardens and what have you. I don't really feel that's an issue."