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Car misery as petrol creeps to £1 a litre

PETROL prices across the region are inching closer to the é1-a-litre barrier.

According to figures compiled by petrol price consumers group petrolprices.com, the average price of a litre of unleaded petrol across the region is now 96.3p.

This is based on the 294 filling stations within a 20-mile radius of the city centre. Within that area prices at the pumps are creeping up, with at least one petrol station - the Wardlow Mires filling station, near Buxton - charging more than é1, with the price of a litre of unleaded standing at 102p.

Other outlets, including the Walshaw Road Filling Station, in Bury, are close to the é1 mark, with a litre of unleaded selling for 99.9p.

The figures also show the wide variation in petrol prices across the region.

The cheapest unleaded in Greater Manchester was at the Hall Street Station in Stockport (93.7p a litre), with the Esso in Rusholme and Shell garages in Kingsburn, Levenshulme, and the city centre a fraction higher at 93.9p. Nationally the price of a litre of unleaded petrol ranges from 92.9p to 105.9p.

Middle East

Analysts blame price rises on tensions in the Middle East and Africa, warning the average price could top é1 in coming weeks. Crude oil has already reached record prices of 78 dollars a barrel - a threefold increase since 2003.

And Brendan McLoughlin, co-founder of petrolprices.com website, believes prices will rise further. He said: "It tends to take a few weeks for oil prices to filter through to the pumps. Unfortunately that means we are expecting steep rises in the next few weeks."

The rises come amid escalating fighting between Israel and Lebanon, the stand-off with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, and suspected oil pipeline explosions in Nigeria. The Middle East produces one third of the world's oil and holds two thirds of its untapped resources.

A spokesman for AA Motoring Trust said: "If oil prices edge over the 80 dollars a barrel mark, we will certainly see diesel go over é1 a litre and petrol will follow later in the summer."

Steve Hounsham, communications manager for environmental transport pressure group Transport 2000, said motorists have nothing to complain about. He added: "The overall cost of motoring has actually fallen considerably compared to public transport prices."

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Am on holiday in Florida. The price of petrol here escalates daily. Hurricane on the way - petrol goes up! Middle east crisis - petrol goes up! Fires in California -petrol goes up! Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose first warm-up match - petrol goes up! Common theme - petrol goes up! Those who control the oil flow the world over make the money.

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Difference here though Ken is the price goes down also at times..............and it will never be as much as it is in the UK. You get ripped off in the UK with the taxes on gasoline.

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glad i got a lpg (gas) car only 39p litre i am saving a fortune now petrol keeps going up and want go down much.

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The ,,Aussies,,call the English whingers, I know different.The price of unleaded petrol here is $1.40 a litre on conversion that equates to about 57pence uk,they want to take a holiday and stay in the uk for 12 month then they would keep there big mouths shut.

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Get used to it, petrol and diesel is going to go up and up until you cant afford it, and its going to do it faster that you might think.
All is not lost though, there are alternatives which so far are more expensive due to lack of interest.
So, its down to YOU, yup all you motorists, get out there and make the alternatives popular soon.
And while you are at it, you can feel good about yourselves in an environmetally green way.

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you whinge yet you all still pay it, futher lining Gordon Brown's treasure chest. Wake up and force your government to reduce petrol duty, or is that not the British thing to do. Muppets one and all

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graham of Manchester. Don't worry, the more people that join you in buying lpg, the more you will become a target of the Treasury. You'll see.

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What do you suggest colin? I haven't heard of any referendums on oil pricing in the pipelines. Should we organise a march through London (not Manchester, don't worry ;))? We've democratically voted away any rights to protest we once had - oh the irony!

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