LORRY drivers are increasingly turning to black market diesel to beat the high cost of fuel, according to haulage leaders.

Customs officers have reported a substantial increase in the number of vehicles found with red diesel, a low duty fuel intended only for use in agricultural vehicles.

One of the latest raids saw 12 lorries seized at a depot in Stockton on Teesside, after nine were found to be running on kerosene and three on red diesel.

A Customs and Excise spokesman for Northern England said a joint operation with Cleveland Police saw the vehicles checked at the John Menzies distribution depot at Preston Farm Industrial Estate.

He said the lorries, operated by contractors and not by John Menzies itself, were impounded when they were found to contain the illegal fuel.

"Over the last 12 months we have seen an increase of around ten per cent in the number of detections," he said.

"It is more widespread now and as we find more offences we increase the number of checks that we make."

Customs figures for last month showed that ultra low sulphur diesel cost around 77.76p a litre, including 45.82p in duty and 11.58p in VAT.

Red diesel cost around 19.6p a litre, including 3.13p in duty and 2.92p VAT. Geoff Dunning, northern regional director for the Road Haulage Association, said most hauliers caught using red diesel had to make up the shortfall in duty before their vehicle could be returned.

He said: "It is increasing dramatically compared to what it was a few years ago, when it was only people who had red diesel legitimately and had a habit of using it in conventional road vehicles.

"But because the cost difference is so enormous now more people are tempted to do it.

"The blame lies with the people who do it but the cause of the problem is the Government's policy on the level of duty."

He said an increasing problem was the amount of diesel smuggled in from Ireland, where duty is just around 20p a litre, and fuel for agricultural use is dyed green instead of red, as in the UK.

He said: "There is a huge amount of smuggling of diesel, and also laundering to get rid of the dyes that are used to distinguish it from conventional fuel."