The chairman of a company rocked by soaring fuel prices has pleaded for a cut in taxes.

Bill Brett is head of the Canterbury-based Brett Group that runs 150 heavy goods vehicles on routes all over the United Kingdom.

The company has been hit by the soaring fuel price crisis and the planned 2p increase.

“This sort of fuel price increase inevitably affects every part of our business and significantly increases business costs, which ultimately have to be passed on to our customers,” he said.

“Whilst we have a long term strategy to move transportation of products increasingly to rail and water, repeated hikes in prices simply drives inflation upwards - and then everyone pays the price.

“With a significant and increasing part of the cost being down to taxes, it’s hard to see why this can’t be moderated in support of British businesses that rely so heavily on fuel on a daily basis.”

The Brett Group dispatches its construction materials products by road to customers all over the UK and relies on fuel to operate plant, vehicles and factory machinery.