Coryton refinery problems to hit motorists at the pump

Motorists are being warned to brace themselves for record diesel prices.

The cost is set to rise by up to three pence to a record £1.45 a litre.

The soaring price means filling up a typical family car with a 70-litre tank could top £100.

News of the potential hike comes after one of the Britain’s biggest refineries at Coryton in Essex, which supplies around 10% of the UK’s petrol and diesel went bust.

Although refining is continuing at the site, administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers said supplies are being stored at the site rather than sent out.

The UK Government has insisted it is doing all in its power to find a buyer but PwC could not say if or when normal service would be resumed at the refinery.

The latest crisis has led to fears of a repeat of scenes from 2008, when the giant Grangemouth refinery was hit by strike action. Many pumps ran dry and there were some cases of petrol rationing.

Petrol prices have risen rapidly in recent times and the AA had already warned that motorists could expect a 2p hike at the pumps.

Experts warn that the Coryton crisis could push prices up even further.