Santander has confirmed the average price of fuel in the UK has risen by 5.5 per cent in the past two months alone.

Logistics companies have bemoaned the huge cost of keeping their fleets running and new statistics provided by the bank have highlighted just how much strain drivers are under at the moment.

In some parts of the UK, the price of unleaded petrol has shot up by an eye-watering nine per cent in the last eight weeks and the study showed that Dumfries in Scotland is now the most expensive place to fill your tank, as prices average 145.9p per litre.

However, the biggest percentage increases have been seen in Paisley, Durham and Hereford.

Chief executive officer of Santander Cards Alan Mathewson said: "With the cost of fuel expected to reach its highest level in the coming weeks, families and car commuters are likely to be the hardest hit once again."

Thankfully, chancellor George Osborne has chosen to scrap a proposed 3p fuel duty rise scheduled for the autumn, but campaigners still think that far more assertive action is needed to take some of the pressure off hard-up motorists.