Relief for cash-strapped motorists could soon be at hand with the opening of a new cut-price petrol station in Ashford.

Applegreen, a young Irish upstart firm which specialises in low cost fuel, took over the former Shell garage that borders North Street and Somerset Road last week.

The firm boasts that its pump prices always match or beat its competitors.

Workmen have been busy renovating the site, with new branding bearing the company’s motto “Low fuel prices, always” up in place earlier this week.

And an electronic pricing board erected on Wednesday showed opening prices of 127.8p on petrol and 134.8p on diesel, knocking pence per litre off their nearest rivals prices.

A spokesman for the Dublin-based company was unavailable as the Kentish Express went to print.

But in a statement on their website, company chief executive Bob Etchingham said: “We check the price of fuel in each of our Applegreen stations’ local area every day.

“We then set our pump prices to ensure that we are always at least as low as the lowest competing site in this area.

“Applegreen offers fuels that are in accordance with best international practice and conform to Irish specifications.

“Fuel technology is constantly evolving, driven by environmental issues and the search to provide lower cost alternatives to fossil-based fuels.

“Applegreen offers a range of standard fuels and emission treatments, and will add emerging leading-edge fuels as and when demand merits their inclusion on the forecourt.”

Applegreen is part of the Petrogas company, set up by Mr Etchingham in 1992.

Applegreen itself was established in 2005, and filling stations were at first to be found predominantly on the east coast of the Republic of Ireland, particularly around the Dublin area

But the firm has seen a rapid expansion over recent years, particularly into the UK, with plans to add a further 23 to 40 sites by the end of the year.

And many will be hoping that Ashford will begin to see a drop in prices on other forecourts in a similar way to the Asda effect, due to the arrival of the Applegreen brand.