Elton John fans have been left out in the cold after "ticket sharks" failed to deliver their passes for the Rocket Man's Sussex show.

Many fans who shelled out hundreds of pounds for seats have been told they will not be sent their tickets after the agency they bought them from was shut down by Law Lords.

Some are still hoping their tickets will show up in time.

Thousands of fans are counting the days to the legendary singer's performance at the Sussex County Cricket Ground in Hove, the biggest live event in the history of the venue, tomorrow week.

More than 10,000 fans snapped up tickets for the show within hours of the lines opening in November.

Many who paid for seats through the London-based Get Me Tickets Ltd (GMT) agency could be left standing outside as the star performs his greatest hits.

Get Me Tickets, which attracted hundreds of complaints from dissatisfied music fans, was wound up in the High Court following an investigation by the Insolvency Service, a branch of the Government's Department of Trade and Industry, which described the company as "ticket sharks".

It is unclear how many fans bought their tickets for the Sussex show through the agency but dozens of people have complained they have still not received them.

Among fans whose tickets have failed to show up is Emma Eason, 24, of South Coast Road, Peacehaven, who received a letter from The Insolvency Service on Wednesday informing her she would not be receiving her tickets.

She had bought three front-row tickets for £125 each, plus a further £30 booking fee, from GMT.

Her mother Susan Virgo, also from Peacehaven, did not receive a letter but Emma found out from The Insolvency Service that Mrs Virgo would not be receiving her two tickets because she bought them from Get Me Tickets.net, which was part of the same group.

Miss Eason was told her mother would not receive a letter for two weeks, sparking fears many people would not know they have been let down until the last minute.

Miss Eason said: "My whole family wanted to go - especially my mum. She's absolutely gutted. When I told her she had booked with the same company she was in tears."

Jenny Ullah, 50, of Peacehaven, said she was gutted.

She said: "We ordered these tickets months ago and obviously there are hundreds of people who don't even know about this."

Sussex County Cricket Club has received at least 15 calls from fans and many have called The Argus fearing their tickets would not arrive.

A cricket club spokesman said: "We are very disappointed and sad for these people who have bought tickets in good faith from GMT."

Consumer minister Ian McCartney, speaking after the agency was closed down, said: "This ruling blows the final whistle on Get Me Tickets, sending out a message to anyone low enough to prey on fans' passion for music and sports events. I am determined to stamp out these rogues and protect consumers."

Desmond Flynn, Inspector General and agency chief executive of the Insolvency Service said: "The service is determined to make sure ticket sharks like Get Me Tickets don't get away with making money out of people who see a glimmer of hope when it comes to getting hold of a last-minute seat."

Ben Martin, from Marshall Arts, which is promoting the Elton John concert, said people should not panic if they have not received their tickets and should contact the ticket agency they used if they have any concerns.

The three company titles, owned by the same people, to have gone into liquidation are Get Me Tickets Ltd, Get Me Tickets.net Ltd and Get Me Tickets.com Ltd.

There is no connection between these companies and an American organisation which operates a website www.getmetickets.com The Argus is running a competition next week in which two front row tickets to the Elton John concert will be up for grabs every day.