PETER Kay has announced he is cancelling his live arena tour.

The comedian was due to play more than 80 dates throughout 2018 and 2019, kicking off in Birmingham in April 2018.

Peter Kay CANCELS arena tour

What are your rights if you hold a ticket to one of Peter Kay's cancelled shows? Can I get a refund on my ticket?

You are entitled to a full refund of the face value of a ticket and usually the booking fee if the organisers cancel the event.

The face value is the cost of the ticket as printed on it but without extras such as postage, administration and booking fees.

You are entitled to this refund because the organisers failed to provide what they sold you and have therefore broken their contract with you.

It is useful to check whether your ticket seller is a member of the industry's self-regulatory body Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR). It is a condition of membership that ticket sellers refund the ticket's face value price when an event is cancelled.

How do I get a refund?

The ticket seller is responsible for giving you a refund for tickets to a cancelled event.

This will often be done automatically, although some ticket websites explain how to claim a refund in their FAQs section.

What do the ticket-sellers themselves say?

There are two ticket-selling companies listed on the official announcement of the tour by promoters SJM Concerts - ticketmaster.co.uk and gigsandtours.com - although there are undoubtedly many secondary sellers involved too.

Ticketmaster's website says: "If an event's been cancelled altogether, we'll usually just refund your tickets automatically. We refund the face value plus the service charge for each ticket - you'll see a credit onto your card within 15 days of us contacting you about the cancellation."

The Gigs and Tours website says: "As soon as an event is officially cancelled we'll contact you via the contact details you gave us when you booked your tickets, and explain what happens next."

What do I do if my ticket-seller refuses me a refund?

Sometimes the small print on your ticket, or wording on the website about the ticket sale, is unfair. For example, if it says you're not entitled to a refund if the event is cancelled by the organisers, this is likely to be unfair. In this case, you should complain to your ticket seller.

If you have difficulty getting a refund for the event, you can contact the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (Star) if your ticket seller is a member.

Why might I not get a refund on the extra fees I paid when I bought the ticket?

Check the ticket seller's terms and conditions, but there is a chance that the seller will argue that the extra fees paid for the cost of the transaction, which has already taken place.

What do I do if I bought a ticket through a secondary site and I have trouble getting a refund?

You should regularly log into your user account and check for a notice of cancellation of tickets and a notice of a refund.

If you're not offered a refund, you don't have to accept this situation. Instead, write to them again: restate your claim, and the reasons for your complaint.

Keep records of all your correspondence, take screenshots and gather any other evidence in support of your refund claim.

If your claim is ignored or refused by the secondary ticketing company you should contact your bank or credit card company (if you paid using a credit card). Make them aware of your experience and the complaint you've made.

If you've spent more than £100 and less than £30,000 you can claim on your credit card if something goes wrong. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act your credit card company is jointly liable for any breach of contract or misrepresentation.

If you paid by debit card you can ask your card provider to reverse a transaction on your credit or debit card in a process called chargeback.

You will need to support your claim with correspondence and evidence so your bank or card provider can see you've already taken reasonable steps to resolve the issue yourself.

If you are unsatisfied with your bank or credit card provider, or your claim is unsuccessful, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman Service to investigate your case.

PETER KAY — FULL STATEMENT

"Due to unforeseen family circumstances, I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects. This unfortunately includes my upcoming stand-up tour, Dance For Life shows and any outstanding live work commitments.

"My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I'm sure you'll understand my family must always come first.

"I've always endeavoured to protect my family's privacy from the media. I hope that the media and the public will continue to respect our privacy at this time.

"Once again, I'm very sorry."