A PETROL station has been branded "disgraceful" after it was spotted charging drivers more than £2 per litre. 

BP at Washington Services was seen charging drivers 202.9p per litre for petrol and 204.9p per litre for diesel on Tuesday (June 7) morning.

The rocketing rates at the site were slammed online as drivers passing the services on the A1(M) were left shocked and disgusted.

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Nationally, the average price is now 178.5p for petrol and 185.2p for diesel, according to motoring organisation RAC’s fuel watch.

Reacting, one person said: “Washington Services is currently selling petrol for £2.02 per litre. I’d sooner abandon my car and walk the A1.”

Another described the petrol station as "disgraceful" for the costs on Tuesday. 

Just yesterday, the petrol station was charging £1.99 for fuel. 

In response, a spokesperson for Moto, which runs the petrol station, said: “We recognise fuel prices are higher than customers would like.

“In the past week, wholesale oil prices have risen by around 6%.

"As a business we had held off passing this price rise onto customers in recent days in the hope that prices would dip, however no such price drop has occurred, and we have now had to start reflecting the increase in our forecourt prices.

"The fuel price includes several elements, including oil price and taxation. Fuel prices at motorway service areas reflect a number of factors.

"We do not sell the volumes that supermarkets do and therefore do not get the same discounts they do.

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“Additionally, unlike supermarkets and local petrol stations, motorway service areas have to deliver a number of services 24/7.

"These include toilets, showers, hot and cold food and beverages, parking and the convenience of not having to leaving a motorway to get fuel.

"The need to meet these costs means there will always be a pricing differential.

“At Moto, it’s been our ambition to find a way of lowering motorway fuel prices sustainably and to make a significant difference to what motorists pay on motorways.

"We are currently looking to achieve this with our digital fuel sign roll out which will enable us cut prices by 15p a litre, bringing us in line with the high street.

"Digital fuel signage roll-out is in progress for Moto Hospitality sites at Leigh Delamere North and South and Lancaster North and South.

"Moto plans to roll the signage out to all sites across the UK in future.”

Prices have been continuing to rise since the start of the year following an increase in wholesale fuel prices, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Back in March Chancellor Rishi Sunak cut fuel duty by 5p per litre in a bid to save drivers around £2.4 billion.

Simon Williams, RAC fuel spokesperson, said: “We strongly urge the Government to take drastic action to help soften the impact for drivers from these never-before-seen pump prices.

“The cost of filling a 55-litre family car with petrol has now topped £98 for the first time in history as a result of a litre hitting a new all-time high of 178.5p on Monday. Diesel also rose to yet another record by reaching 185.2p which takes the cost of a tank to £101.86.

“With analysts predicting that oil will average $135 a barrel for the rest of this year drivers need to brace themselves for average fuel prices rocketing to £2 a litre which would mean a fill-up would rise to an unbelievable £110."

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