An MP has hit out at the rising price of fuel after it cost him over £100 to fill his car up.

Craig Mackinlay, member of parliament for South Thanet, said he had "only wanted to fill the tank, not take out a mortgage" when he stopped at the Esso Richborough garage along the A256, near Sandwich, yesterday.

In total it cost him £101.30 to put 74.54 litres of diesel in his 2005 Mercedes, at a cost of 135.9p per litre.

Mr Mackinlay says while this is now the 'normal' price for fuel in east Kent, it is the first time his bill has exceeded £100.

And he compared the cost to buying the same amount of fuel last year, when prices hit a five year low in May 2020. During this time it cost around 110p per litre, or even as low as 105p per litre at supermarket Asda.

Therefore 74.54 litres at 105p would cost £78.27 - a difference of £23.03.

It comes as the RAC reports that petrol prices have risen for the ninth month in a row and are at an eight-year high.

The road side recovery firm said another 3.4p was added to the cost of a litre of petrol last month, and 2.7p for diesel, making it the most expensive July to fill-up since 2013 for drivers of petrol cars and since 2014 for those needing diesel.

The RAC says with hopes building of a global recovery from the pandemic, vaccine programmes continuing to make progress and restrictions being eased in many places, demand for oil is increasing.

And as that demand outstrips supply, wholesale fuel prices are being pushed up consequently pushing the costs onto drivers each time they fill up.

Mr Mackinlay added that the rise in prices will have a 'devastating' impact on families.

He said: "I was shocked to breach the £100 barrier to fill up yesterday.

"I only wanted to fill the tank, not take out a mortgage.

"The mix of higher oil prices fuelled by global demand as the world edges towards Covid recovery, together with UK fuel duty at 57.95p per litre, which to the government's credit has been frozen for ten years, has led us to the highest pump prices since October 2018.

"VAT is levied on the base fuel price plus the fuel duty and so the VAT tax take alters in tandem with the underlying oil price.

"This is a devastating cost for families, especially those who have an older, less efficient car out of necessity.

"My fears are that the mad dash to net zero might see the government persuaded to load motorists with even higher taxes leading to further hardship.

"The Chancellor needs to think very carefully about the political downside and costs of so-called green taxes which fall upon the poorest, hardest."

The RAC advises that drivers will find the 'best value' fuel at supermarkets this summer.

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