Job losses have been confirmed following the decision to close Sheffield Jaguar dealer Hatfields ahead of the merger with its Wakefield sister site.

Managing director Gareth Williams told The Star newspaper that 20 jobs would go across both sites and that Sheffield would close on September 30. 

He said the decision was not a reflection on the performance or abilities of staff but had been taken due to the nature of the site which was "simply not capable of taking that leap into the future."

He said: "Business is booming, this is not a knee-jerk economic reaction. The showroom in Sheffield is on two levels and the workshop is very old fashioned. Demolition would be required. Wakefield has good facilities. Hopefully we can take Sheffield customers with us.".

Hatfields was established in Sheffield by Ernest Hatfield in 1922. It moved to Sharrow Vale Road in 1982. Today, it has nine locations in Yorkshire, the North West and Shropshire.

Williams said the nature of car buying was changing and the new Jaguars - which will be going all-electric by 2025 - would require fewer "representation points" in an online world.