Tens of thousands of people were back queuing outside six Bank of China (Hong Kong) branches yesterday to get their hands on commemorative Olympic banknotes - and tickets entitling the holders to buy the most coveted banknote packages today went quickly. Hours after being told to go home as torrential rain lashed the city on Monday night, the souvenir hunters returned in force. Queues began forming at 8am and did not break up until long after nightfall. BOCHK, the distributor of the notes, brought forward to 2pm its distribution of tickets for purchases today. The bank is selling five sets of banknotes. Tickets entitling the purchaser to buy all five went within a few hours. By late afternoon, staff issuing tickets to those in the queues warned people further back that they might not have a chance of obtaining the two most sought after sets - a sheet of 35 uncut HK$20 notes and a double sheet of four uncut HK$20 notes and four uncut 20-pataca notes. By 9pm, tickets entitling the buyer to a sheet of four uncut HK$20 notes were also gone. Each ticket gives the buyer a time to go to a BOC branch to make their purchase. Some in the queues were only there to make a quick buck. Tickets and the banknotes themselves were being offered for sale on the internet. A ticket entitling the holder to buy all five packages was offered for sale for HK$7,000, but got few responses. Sets of 35 uncut notes, which cost HK$1,388, were being offered for up to HK$16,000. At one point, the queue outside the Bank of China Tower in Central stretched to Pacific Place in Admiralty. Some people suffered in the hot weather. Parents queuing with young children complained that the bank refused to register those aged under 11. Others griped that registering took too long. Police reinforcements were called in to maintain order. BOC will sell the banknotes from today until July 31. Aside from the six major branches selling them, another 44 branches are selling single commemorative HK$20 notes.