Petrol has now soared by 13p since the start of the month and diesel by nearly 21p - the fastest rises on record. Figures from the RAC show that over 24 hours, unleaded rose by a penny to 164.98p a litre and diesel by more than 2p to 176p as motorists continue to get hammered at the pumps.
It comes as Boris Johnson returns from Saudi Arabia after meeting with representatives from the country as well as the United Arab Emirates. The Prime Minister said they were "key international partners" in efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy after the invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister argued it is necessary to strengthen ties with the nations to tackle Russian President Vladimir Putin and is going to ask to help bring down world oil prices.
The Prime Minister hoped to persuade oil-rich Saudi Arabia to open the taps and supply millions of extra barrels a day. He held an hour and 45 minutes of talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But, with the PM’s RAF Voyager plane expected to touch down this morning after his dash for crude oil, there was little sign of a breakthrough.
