DIESEL TOPS £2 A LITRE AS UK PRICES NEAR RECORD HIGH

Diesel has been selling above £2 a litre at more than 200 forecourts across Scotland, from the Borders to Shetland, analysis has found. The RAC said the UK average diesel price was on course to reach a record high over the weekend. RAC figures put the average at 198.32p a litre, up 14.5p this month and about 55p since the end of February. The highest prices were recorded in the Hebrides, at up to 238.8p a litre, and in the Northern Isles, at up to 209.0p. Hauliers described the increases as "devastating".

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said the average price was "teetering on the brink of a new all-time high" and would "almost certainly" pass the previous record of 199.09p, set in June 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. Petrol has also risen, with unleaded now averaging 173.6p a litre, its highest level in four years. The increases have been linked to a war involving Iran, which began at the end of February, and the ongoing war in Ukraine. South Uist haulier Norman MacAskill said diesel cost 32p a litre when he entered the industry 40 years ago, compared with £2.22 now.

MacAskill said haulage firms established for 50 to 60 years were going out of business. He said filling a lorry's tank now costs about £250 a week more than before, adding that no business could withstand such an increase. The UK government said it continued to protect British people and businesses, and confirmed there would be no increase in fuel duty this year. The RAC said it expected the previous diesel price record to be broken within days as retailers pass on higher wholesale costs.