THE price of petrol and diesel has gone up by 6p a litre over the past month.

Motorists in Ludlow and south Shropshire are hit hard because fuel prices in the area are above average and journey distances long than average.

But fuel campaigners claim that oil companies are profiteering.

This is according to Howard Cox, founder of the FairFuelUK campaign who says that the month of May saw the worst increase in fuel prices for 18 years.

“Current pump prices are 1-2p per litre more than they need be, despite escalating oil costs and the weaker pound,” he said.

“Greedy opportunistic oil speculators along with OPEC and Russia’s oil production levels posturing, are using geo-political spats between the USA and Iran to deliberately over inflate the cost of filling up.

“Businesses in the fuel supply chain are yet again exploiting the already highest taxed motorists in the world by not reducing pump prices when oil prices fall. They rise like a rocket and fall like a feather. As a consequence, inflation, GDP and consumer spending is being impacted badly by these greedy companies.”

The Group is calling for an independent price monitoring body to the set up.as watchdog.

“Reports from FairFuelUK supporters are showing that in some cases, garages have put up prices three to four times in May, when fuel forecourt owners have only paid for one to two deliveries of bulk fuel in the same month. How can that be fair, or even honest?”

“Along with MPs across all parties, we call on the Government to set up an independent price monitoring body to make pricing changes at the pumps, transparent, We need PumpWatch now!”