Furious motorists have accused the government of using the Dartford Crossing as a “cash cow” after price rises were announced for regular users.

Under the current system, Dartford drivers who often use the crossing pay a discounted rate of £1.67 to get across if they drive a 'standard' sized car.

However, on Monday, these account holders were told the price will increase to £2 per journey.

This 33p increase works out to about 20 per cent more than they pay now.

Account holders in Dartford have reacted angrily to the changes, which are due to be brought into effect from October 1.

On Facebook, some regular users of the crossing suggested they should get rid of their accounts altogether because “there was no point.”

Dartford Council leader Jeremy Kite said: “I resent the fact there has been no consultation with the people of Dartford.”

He added he has “not seen any plans” to reinvest any money from the crossing into the M25, as had previously been promised from toll charges.

Cllr Kite also accused Highways England of being “arrogant” in announcing the changes, claiming he and the council were not given any warning of the plans.

“It has suddenly come out of the blue,” he told News Shopper.

The council leader said the authority would be contacting Highways England to tell them “they have made an error in their high-handed approach” to the situation.

“It’s a real shame for local people. It’s a setback and makes us feel we are not being spoken to as a community.”

Jonathon Hawkes, leader of Labour on Dartford Council, said the decision was “completely unjustified.”

He told News Shopper: “It’s another example of Dartford getting a really bad deal from the crossing and shows how it is being used as a cash cow.”

He added the government has written off millions of pounds in fines that could not be collected from drivers on the crossing, but was “increasing prices for people who pay fairly.”

A Highways England spokeswoman said: “More than a million people are eligible to save money on every crossing at Dartford after having signed up to the Dart Charge pre-pay account.

“With over 55 million vehicles travelling over Dartford Crossing every year, there is an ongoing need to manage increasing demand at the crossing.

"After nine years of operating a 33 per cent discount for cars, the Department for Transport has reviewed how fairly the benefits to account holders are spread across different vehicle types and have aligned the Class B rate more closely to Classes C and D.

“From October 1, 2018 the new discounted rate for Class B vehicles at the Dartford Crossing will be £2.00, that’s a 20 per cent reduction on the standard rate. All other rates will be unaffected by this change.”