Petrol prices at record high

The price of petrol at the pumps has soared to a record high, the AA has said.

The average price is now 121.76p a litre, overtaking the previous record figure of 121.61p reached on May 12 this year.

Average diesel prices are now 125.73p a litre - still short of the July 2008 record of 133.25p.

Petrol is now 11.88p more expensive than it was at the beginning of this year, with motorists having to pay almost #6 more to fill an average tank.

The extra monthly cost of petrol for a two-car family is £25.23, compared with the start of this year.

AA president Edmund King said: "In the past week, we have seen the average price of petrol shoot up 1.7p a litre across the UK and diesel rise 1.61p.

"It comes at a particularly bad time for drivers who have struggled with appalling winter weather and often seen their fuel drain away while stuck in snow-bound traffic jams."