A Yorkshire retailer has slammed the Daily Express for publishing a story accusing forecourts of charging rip-off petrol prices. Tony Boorman of Tyke 2000 in Malton, North Yorkshire, was so incensed by what he read that he rang the paper and spoke directly to the journalist responsible.

"The whole story was written out of ignorance. It accused forecourts of putting up their fuel prices to cash in on bank holiday traffic. The journalist picked on rural sites when most of the time there’s a bloody good reason why rural prices are higher than urban ones," said Tony. "And what the article didn’t mention was the fact that we are making less now on petrol than we were several years ago when the prices were much lower."

Tony said that when he put his views across the journalist accepted them and said that usually the paper likes to champion independent traders.

The Express did give the forecourts’ view via a quote from PRA boss Ray Holloway, which said that prices were always clearly displayed and that garages only make around 2.5ppl.