Outrage as petrol sells at £9 a gallon

THE price of petrol hit a new high yesterday with one garage owner charging an astonishing £9.10 a gallon.

Price hike Price hike

The news was greeted with fury by motorists who are suffering increasing torment as the tanker drivers’ strike bites deep.[>

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The hike to 199.9 pence a litre was imposed by Ron James, manager of the Foxhayes station at Exwick, near Exeter. He said the move was designed to preserve stocks.[>

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“It’s all been panic buying and we cannot get any more supplies,” he said. “We’re not being mean. I would say I’m a very nice person.”[>

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He added: “The price will go back to normal as soon as we get a delivery.”[>

We’re not being mean. I would say I’m a very nice person.”

Ron James

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But his stance was condemned by motorists such as Paul Young, 24, of Exeter. He said: “I’m running short of petrol at the moment but I wouldn’t dream of filling up at that garage.[>

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“It’s just taking advantage and blatant profiteering.”[>

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And Paul Mogford, 40, who works in Exeter said: “I wouldn’t pay that price. It’s taking liberties. I know petrol’s in short supply at the moment but that’s going too far.”[>

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A spokesman for petrolprices.com, a fuel price watchdog, criticised Mr James for his huge price hike, saying:  “£2 a litre is blatant profiteering. [>

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“Putting the price up so much at a time when drivers in the South-west are being hit worst by the strikes is inexcusable.” [>

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Brian Gregory of the Association of British Drivers said: “I think drivers should pay back this particular person by boycotting this station – even when fuel prices drop again. Putting it up to £2 a litre is just taking the Michael.”[>

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Across the country, motorists were feeling the impact and were braced for further rises as the price of oil soared to a record of 140 dollars a barrel yesterday. AA president Edmund King blamed the four-dollar rise on market speculators.[>

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In another sign that the fuel crisis will escalate, more tanker drivers threatened to join the pay strike that caused more than 600 garage forecourts to run dry yesterday. [>

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They are due to hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to consider taking part in the stoppage by 640 drivers employed by Shell and Hoyer.[>

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The four-day action was due to end today but resume next weekend unless a settlement is reached. Talks between the drivers’ union Unite and Shell and Hoyer executives were adjourned without a deal last night.[>

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Figures released yesterday by the  Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform said 616 garages of the 8,700 nationwide total ran out of one or more types of fuel.[>

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The number had fallen from 647 on Sunday, but motoring organisations reported shortages and queueing in Wales and the South-west.[>

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The meeting tomorrow will test the resolve of thousands of tanker drivers who have so far resisted joining the action. Representatives of workers employed by other oil companies and supermarkets are expected to converge on London. The average price of unleaded yesterday was £1.18 per litre, compared with 97p a year ago. Diesel was an average £1.31 yesterday, up from 97.4p a year ago.[>

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A Shell spokesman said around 284 of its 582 garages had suffered shortages of petrol and diesel and 120 had no stock at all.[>

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British tourists in France, Spain and Italy faced further disruption  yesterday as protesters continued their campaign against the crippling price of fuel.[>

 

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