A frustrated fisherman has craned his 32ft boat out of the water and taken it to a petrol station to fill up in protest at the soaring price of red diesel.

Whitstable-based Chris Attenborough says he can save up to 70p per litre if he uses white diesel, which is used by motorists across the country to fill up their vehicles.

He told how the hike in the price of red diesel has more than doubled his fuel bill - rising from £80-a-day to £170.

And the 34-year-old, who chairs the Whitstable Fishermen's Association, has warned the increase could lead to the price of fish and seafood going up, which he says "people can’t afford to buy already in this country".

Mr Attenborough, who lives in Herne Bay, usually has red diesel delivered to him in Whitstable Harbour but has been forced to take extreme measures to cut his costs.

The seventh-generation fisherman summoned the help of a boat transporter on Friday to take his vessel, called Holladays, to a local BP petrol station in protest.

"It’s cheaper for me to get my boat craned out of the water, cut the mast down, put it on a lorry and bring it to (the petrol station) and fill it up with white diesel," he said.

"I can claim the VAT and road duty back so that works out at about 80p to 90p per litre (for white diesel) depending on the day.

"Red diesel is normally about that price and we can claim back 11p of fuel duty so it should work out at the same price.

"But we are getting quotes of between 130p and 160p per litre for red diesel (before duty is taken off).

"That is profiteering on a large scale for the oil companies."

Red diesel is used to operate off-road vehicles and machinery, such as fishing boats.

It is meant to be low cost as it is taxed at a reduced duty rate (11.14p per litre) compared with white diesel available at petrol stations.

It is illegal to use red diesel on vehicles used on public roads and is marked with a red dye and chemical markers so it can be easily identified.

The price of diesel at the Dargate BP petrol station (coastbound) on the New Thanet Way on Friday at noon was 185.9p per litre.

For Mr Attenborough, this worked out at 90.7p per litre minus fuel duty (57.95p per litre) and the 20% standard rate of VAT.

"My fuel bill has gone up from £80 a day to £170 a day," he added.

"It is going to put the price of fish up, which people can’t afford to buy already in this country, and it is going to have a major impact on our businesses.

"We used to say we had to make £500-a-day to make it a viable business - to cover fuel, crew and the cost of the boat. Now, we’re talking £900-a-day."

The fisherman says deliveries of red diesel can take up to three weeks as next day delivery is not guaranteed.

He added: "How can you run a business not knowing when your fuel is going to turn up?"

"They won’t give you an actual price until the day before delivery."

Mr Attenborough says he fills his boat up with about 2,500 litres of diesel, which would be - following fuel duty deductions - £2,250 for white diesel at 90p per litre, compared with £3,500 for red diesel valued at 140p.

Dave Ferris, 34, who is based in Queenborough, told how he has to be "careful of the everyday viability of going to sea" because of the price of red diesel.

"It has increased by double what we need to catch," he said.

"We will see the price of the fish go down for us and the price go up for the consumer.

"We will be worse off financially, have to turnover more fish and more quotas we have to use up.

"The French government has already stepped in and offered subsidies to keep the fleet sustainable.

"Our government has just sat on their hands and let things blow over."

Fisherman Jason Lengden, 42, said he is concerned for his livelihood and told how the current government subsidies for red diesel are “not enough”.

“I was born a fisherman and I will die a fisherman," he said.

“Whether I was born a successful fisherman and I die one is another question.

“I will stick at fishing until I starve, and whether I starve or not is in the hands of the government.”