Hastings residents in '1066 Country' lose out on Bayeux Tapestry tickets after hours on hold to a 'shambolic' phone line

Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore says VIPs and billionaires got private viewings while her constituents were cut off. One local waited two hours and 38 minutes in the queue. Jenny, from St Leonards, was on hold for two hours, then cut off. The British Museum says priority tickets were 'first come, first served' and an online system for locals was not financially feasible.

Maya Jama and Mick Jagger have attended balls held in the tapestry room since September.

Dollimore: 'Why is it so easy for billionaires to get exclusive private viewings?'

Wednesday's general sale drew a reported 269,000 people into the online queue before lunchtime.