Average tank of diesel hits £90 after biggest daily increase for more than 20 years

Drivers have been hit by the largest daily hike in diesel prices for more than 20 years.

At a Shell garage in Wrotham Heath, near Sevenoaks, the fuel was priced at £1.93 a litre, while at Chieveley Services in Berkshire it was more than £1.89.

On a forecourt near Didcot, Oxfordshire, motorists faced more than £1.72 per litre.

The RAC said the jump - which brings the cost of filling a family car to around £90 - was the largest on records dating back to the year 2000.

Hauliers have warned their profit margins are being wiped out due to rising diesel bills.

At the same time, the average cost of a litre of petrol at stations in Reading, Oxford and Aylesbury reached £1.60.

Oil prices have soared amid concerns over the reliability of supplies due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The price per barrel of Brent crude - the most commonly used way of measuring the UK's oil price - reached 139 US$ on Monday, which was its highest level in 14 years.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: "The cost of a filling a 55-litre family car with petrol is now £87 - £7 more than it was at the start of the year.

"Diesel drivers are even worse off, with a tank now costing more than £90 for the first time ever - £8 more than in early January.

Here's what motorists in Oxfordshire think of the price hikes

"Wholesale fuel prices have already risen dramatically this week, so more pump price increases in the coming days are inevitable.

"Petrol is now certain to top an average of £1.60 a litre this week, while diesel will progress very quickly towards £1.70.

"We continue to call on the Chancellor to help drivers by temporarily cutting VAT to at least 15%.

"As it stands, 26p a litre of what drivers are paying on the forecourt is attributable to VAT and that comes on top of 58p a litre in fuel duty."

Howard Cox from petrol prices campaign group Fair Fuel UK, based in Kent