RAC, the motoring body, said that the price of petrol surged by nearly 5p a litre in the week that included the bank holiday break. RAC says that it could soon hit 180p a litre.
Oil prices remain high due to the war in Ukraine and sanctions to reduce Europe's dependence on Russia. In March, the government cut fuel duty by 5p a litre for a year, but the RAC called for more help for motorists.
RAC spokesperson Simon Williams, said: "More radical government intervention is urgently needed, whether that's in the form of a further reduction in fuel duty or a VAT cut." Over the week from 30 May to 5 June, average diesel prices also rose from 182.58p a litre to 185.01p.
"Sadly, we expect to see the average price of petrol break through the 180p mark this week with diesel moving further towards 190p," said Williams.
AA fuel price spokesman Luke Bosdet said: "Shock and awe is the only way to describe what has been happening at the pump during the half-term break."
