The cost of petrol at the pump could soar to record levels if attacks on Saudi Arabia succeed in disrupting oil flows from the world's largest crude oil exporter, analysts say.

"If that happens then the price could be anything, anything," said Jose Blanco, retail price analyst at consultancy Wood Mackenzie/OPAL.

Truckers said they were planning to protest against high government fuel taxes as the surging oil prices eat into their profits. Nationwide fuel tax protests in September 2000 brought the country to a virtual standstill.

International crude oil prices in London and benchmark European gasoline prices both climbed four percent on Tuesday, after the attack in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The attack had no effect on oil flows from the kingdom, but concerns that future attacks would disrupt supply pushed oil markets higher.

Qatar's oil minister said on Tuesday that a "fear factor" of $9 a barrel has been added to crude prices, which are over $41 a barrel in the United States.

"We all need to sit back and take a big breath on this one," said Roger King, chief executive of the Road Hauliers Association.

"We've always known that this could happen in Saudi Arabia. But concerns have been heightened by what is happening there at the moment."

Pump prices averaged 82.8 pence a litre on Friday, up 8.5 percent from 76.3 pence at the beginning of the year, according to Wood Mackenzie/OPAL figures.

Prices are still well below the all-time high of 85.3 pence a litre reached in June 2000, Blanco said.

Diesel prices are at 83.7 pence a litre, just 2.1 pence below the record 85.9 pence level reached in December 2000.

Trucking groups were planning protests at local assemblies in Scotland and Wales over the next two weeks, said King. Those protests are to demand that the government halts plans to levy an additional 1.92 pence a litre rise in tax on motor fuel from September.

"In view of what is forecast for oil prices, the tax is unacceptable," said King, pointing to government taxes that already make up over half of diesel at the pump. Fuel accounts for around a third of the haulage industry's costs.

U.S. pump prices reached an all-time high of $2 a gallon in May due to tight supplies ahead of the peak-demand summer driving season, when motorists take to the road in droves for their holidays.

Global economic growth, violence in Iraq and strong demand for gasoline in the United States pushed global oil prices to record highs in May. Prices had receded from May highs after Saudi Arabia promised to supply more crude to international prices.