Motorists are feeling the pinch (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Motorists are feeling the pinch

MOTORISTS around Salisbury are feeling the pinch of globally increasing oil prices, with petrol in many garages priced above the national average, which has risen to more than 90p per litre for the first time.

Last week, average prices nationally were 90.2p per litre for unleaded petrol and just below 94p for diesel - and some garages were already charging £1 or more.

The record high prices are being blamed on a steep rise in the price of crude oil following political upheaval in Saudi Arabia and Iran, the world's biggest suppliers.

But a quick survey of petrol stations around Salisbury showed that motorists have been paying more than 90p per litre for some time.

Prices at five of seven garages visited were above the national average and in three cases had been so for at least two weeks.

The High Post filling station, on the A345 between Salisbury and Amesbury (a franchise of Gulf), Rangers station in Durrington (a franchise of Esso) and Texaco Star, in Amesbury, were all advertising unleaded petrol at 90.9p and diesel at 94.9p.

AA petrol price analyst Ruth Bridger said recently that garages in rural areas were likely to charge higher prices to cover higher delivery costs - but the Tesco station in Southampton Road, Salisbury, was equally expensive, and nearby Esso was only marginally cheaper for diesel, at 93.9p.

The lowest prices found in the area were offered by Shell, in Downton Road, at 89.9p unleaded and 92.9p diesel, and Waitrose, off Churchill Way, Salisbury.

Figures from Esso detailing recent increases show that diesel has risen 1p per week for the past six weeks, from 87.9p on June 20 to 93.9p on July 26 - and the station is braced for a further increase.

Staff at most garages said they expected petrol prices to break the £1-per-litre barrier soon, and some were anxious about the effect on business. A spokesman at Rangers filling station said: "We are worried we might already have lost customers."

But Brian Cox, manager of the High Post station, said: "I think the present situation has been created by a summer of unusually high demand, especially in the US, and I doubt petrol will increase to a pound a litre any time soon.

"That would require a rise of about $8 per barrel of crude, which would be unsustainable for most of the big petroleum companies."

These sentiments were echoed by the AA, which said it did not expect indefinite or prolonged petrol price inflation.