‘Contaminated fuel’ from a major UK petrol station chain has left motorists and businesses reeling after its use reportedly led to tens of vehicles breaking down.
Customers at the London Road BP garage in Rayleigh, Essex, began experiencing issues with their vehicles last Monday, January 6.
As a result of the issue, the garage was forced to close its doors on Tuesday before re-opening the following day after isolating the contaminated fuel pump.
Owners BP have stated that an investigation into the incident is now underway, with a spokesperson for the company also disclosing that the affected fuel tank had now been found.
‘We are taking steps to assess the potential impact and determine the number of people who may be affected.
‘Any customers with concerns should contact our careline for support – careline@bp.com’, the spokesperson added.
One local contaminated fuel expert believes though that the issue is down to the petrol somehow mixing with water.
Lee Pretlove, owner of emergency fuel draining service FuelOut, said his company had experienced its busiest week in years responding to calls from the BP garage’s customers.
Mr Pretlove said he had dealt with 40 impacted motorists between Monday and Friday, but suspects up to 100 people could have used the faulty station pump.
Speaking to BBC Essex, the repair worker revealed that one customer had seen five of his vans break down on the same day due to the contaminated fuel.
‘He had none of his vans going to work that day, so, as you can imagine, he was quite upset,’ Mr Pretlove added.
Official AA figures show that its technicians deal with roughly 45 wrong fuel incidents per day.
Moreover, the RAC estimates that around 150,000 British motorists put the wrong fuel in their vehicle every year.
Using the wrong fuel for your vehicle has the potential to seriously damage its engine and spark plugs, the breakdown assistance operator said.
Mr Pretlove also stated that some motorists may face ‘massive bills’ when dealing with contaminated fuel, due to the likely need for new plugs and fuel filters.
