Fuel prices have hit the alarming high of £2 per litre in Kent today.

The BP service station on the A2 near Canterbury was charging 206.9p per litre this evening for diesel – one of the first in the county to pass the mark.

Meanwhile, the cost of petrol at the 24-hour stop on the coastbound carriageway at Harbledown had soared to 183.9 per litre.

Steve Berry, who runs Whitstable-based haulage company Treacle Transport Ltd, said the huge price rises he saw when he went by was too excessive and described it as "disgusting".

He said: "I can understand why fuel prices are going up but it seems a lot of people are profiteering and there's a wide difference.

"It's unbelievable. It's been a 50% rise since the beginning of Covid.

"It just disgusts me there was a 20p rise for no reason on a day when Brent crude price went down."

Market prices at 7.30pm tonight reported the price of Brent crude oil was $111 per barrel down 13.27% since midnight.

Earlier today, people reported prices rising into the 160s and 170s pence per litre around Kent.

Mr Berry, who regularly uses the station to fill up his company's lorries using fuel cards, said prices had increased from 169.9 per litre since last week and was the highest pump price he had seen in Kent.

He added the price of fuel charged via his fuel card was subject to a midweek review when it is normally set on a weekly basis and was costing up to £1,200 per week to fill up a lorry.

"Fuel is 30% of our our costings now and in the last month it's been up and down," Mr Berry said.

"It's garages profiteering but what do you do?

"It's a vicious circle – fuel goes up, I put my prices up, drivers want more money and food costs more in the supermarket."

Fuel campaigners have called on the government to reduce fuel duty to ease the burden on motorists at the pumps.

Speaking today, Howard Cox of FairFuel UK, said drivers in Britain are the highest taxed in the world and urged the Chancellor to reduce duty.

But Mr Berry says the government can't be expected to "bail us out all the time".

He added: "I hope the government starts paying off the overdraft from Covid, it can't all be Putin's fault.

"They spent trillions trying to get us stay home during Covid."

But motorists can try different ways to ensure they can save fuel and drive more economically to save money – here's 11 top tips.

No manager was available for comment when the BP garage was contacted by KentOnline this evening.