Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson's bad week has continued after it emerged tickets allocated to him ended up in the hands of touts, it is reported.

The Daily Mail says evidence heard at the trial of four men accused of ticket touting this week included the revelation that a total of 16 tickets printed with Ferguson's name were uncovered after a covert police operation into illegal activities on match days close to Old Trafford.

It is understood United launched a top-secret internal investigation after police told them of their findings.

Ferguson, who has not been accused of doing anything wrong, told the investigation that he had given the tickets to acquaintances and had no knowledge of the illegal operation.

The club confirmed the tickets were legitimate and had originally been allocated to the 69-year-old.