8:56 am, November 3, 2026
A premium car dealership has announced its shock closure after 11 years, with bosses claiming that the business has fallen victim to fraudsters.
In an emotional statement, published on Facebook, Pro Sports Cars Hull Ltd has confirmed it can no longer continue trading due to ‘circumstances in which our business has been the victim of fraud’.
Owner Joe Lamplough did not provide further details about the alleged fraud or identify those involved but admitted he was ‘heartbroken, angry, lost and completely overwhelmed’ at the closure.
‘After 11 years of trading, it is with an absolutely broken heart that I have to announce the closure of Pro Sports Cars Hull Ltd.’ he wrote.
‘Eleven years ago, I started this business from absolutely nothing. I didn’t have a big company behind me, and nothing was handed to me.
‘All I had was a dream, determination and the willingness to work as hard as I possibly could to build something I could be proud of.
‘But more than anything, I wanted to build a future for my wife and our three beautiful children. Everything I have done over the last 11 years has been for them.
‘The early mornings, late nights, seven-day weeks, missed family occasions, holidays spent worrying about work and countless sleepless nights. I made those sacrifices because I genuinely believed in what I was building.
‘Pro Sports Cars wasn’t just a business to me. It was my life, my passion and something I had built with my own two hands. I was incredibly proud of what we had achieved, and I truly believed it would be part of our family’s future for many years to come.
‘Unfortunately, following circumstances in which our business has been the victim of fraud, we have been left in a position where we can no longer continue trading.
To say I am devastated would be an understatement. I feel heartbroken, angry, lost and completely overwhelmed.
‘It’s incredibly difficult to accept that something I spent 11 years building, something I gave absolutely everything to, has come to an end in a way I never could have imagined.’
On its website, Pro Sports Cars describes itself as a ‘quality used car dealership, specialising in selling and sourcing a fantastic range of cars’.
The firm first launched in 2015 and has grown to have three working units in Hull in the years since.
Sadly, all three sites will now close their doors for good and Lamplough has been reflecting on the sacrifices that were needed to build the business over the past 11 years.
‘It’s incredibly difficult to accept that something I spent 11 years building, something I gave absolutely everything to, has come to an end in a way I never could have imagined,’ he said.
‘I had plans, dreams and a future mapped out for this business and, more importantly, for my family.
‘This isn’t how our story was supposed to end. But what hurts the most isn’t just losing the business.
‘It’s thinking about all the time I missed with my children because I was working. The evenings I wasn’t home, the family moments I sacrificed and the memories I missed because I believed I was building something that would give them a better life.
You can rebuild a business, but you can never get those years back. And that is something I am struggling with more than anything.’
He added: ‘To every customer who supported us over the last 11 years, whether you bought one car or returned time and time again, thank you. You helped turn my dream into a reality.
‘To all our staff, past and present, thank you for being part of our journey. I know this closure affects more than just me and my family, and that weighs incredibly heavily on my heart.
‘And to my wife and our three beautiful children. I’m sorry.
‘I’m sorry for the time I spent away from you, the occasions I missed and the times I put the business first because I genuinely believed I was doing the right thing for our future.
‘I hope one day you understand just how hard I tried.’
Car Dealer has contacted Pro Sports Cars for further comment.