Vehicles halt as drivers sold 'contaminated fuel'

BP said it had isolated the affected tank

A businessman had to take five vans off the road after being one of many drivers thought to have filled up with contaminated fuel, a repairman said.

The vans and many other vehicles experienced problems after attending a BP forecourt on London Road in Rayleigh, Essex, earlier this week.

Lee Pretlove, who runs an emergency fuel draining service, said he had been called out 40 times since Monday, in what was a "mad week".

A BP spokesman said the affected tank had been isolated and the site had reopened, with an investigation under way.

He said: "We have identified an issue at the site with a potentially contaminated tank, which is currently under investigation.

"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 - [e-mail]."

Mr Pretlove believed the issue stemmed from water contamination with petrol, as reported by the Echo.

Fuel recovery expert Lee Pretlove said it had been a "mad week" at work

He told BBC Essex he was first contacted on Monday, adding: "Within an hour of that, our phone hadn't stopped.

"There's quite a lot of cars affected. There are 40 we've dealt with and more coming in."

The repair worker, from Benfleet, said one customer had five of his vans break down.

"He had none of his vans going to work that day, so, as you can imagine, he was quite upset," Mr Pretlove added.

According to figures from the AA, its technicians fixed about 45 wrong fuel mishaps on a daily basis.

Using the incorrect fuel could lead to damage to a vehicle's engine and spark plugs, it said.