Tanker firms hit hard by rising fuel costs

Soaring fuel prices have put the haulage industry in crisis with the cost of running a tanker up £20,000 (€23,000) on last year, a freight boss has said.

Lesley O'Brien, director of Freight Link Europe, said "pretty much everything you buy comes on the back of a truck" so customers were paying more.

Her comments come as the RAC said it now costs £98 (€114) to fill the average car with petrol and £101.86 (€117) with diesel.

The motoring group has called for "radical government intervention", the BBC reported.

Latest figures from the RAC in the UK showed the average cost of a litre of petrol has risen from 177.88p (€2.06) to 178.50p (€2.08) recently - a rise of 0.6p in 24 hours.

Over the same period, the average diesel price rose from 185.01p (€216) to 185.20p (€2.16).

RAC fuel spokesperson Simon Williams said: "Drivers need to brace themselves for average fuel prices rocketing to £2 a litre which would mean a fill-up would rise to an unbelievable £110.

"We strongly urge the government to take drastic action to help soften the impact for drivers from these never-before-seen pump prices."