Driving to the kebab shop has become an environmentally friendly mission for Jeep motorist Steve Evans.

And the father of three from Allington is ready to beat the soaring cost of petrol, too.

For the past six months he has been building a processor to turn waste cooking oil into bio-diesel.

He calculates that, when perfected for use, his fuel will cost him 21p a litre, compared to the £1.22 charged recently by his nearest garage.

Mr Evans, 37, said: “I came across this process two years ago, but it wasn’t viable then as the pump prices were not that high."

Mr Evans gleaned information from internet forums and set about building the processor in his garage.

He picks up the oil for free from a kebab shop, heats it several times and adds caustic soda, methanol and water.

However, he warns: “I have been exposed to methanol three times which gives you a very strong headache and can attack the body.

“I’ve also damaged the Tarmac on my driveway due to spillages.”