A Midlands town has lost what is believed to be its last independent petrol

station due to mounting losses on the forecourt activities in the face of competition from supermarkets. The business will in future concentrate on selling and repairing cars.

Keith Tiernan, who had operated the former Overslade Service Station in Rugby, Warwickshire, for 12 years, said he had to extricate himself from a contract with fuel supplier Texaco at considerable cost following two years of

difficult trading on the forecourt side of the business. “Looking back, I should have made the changes two years go,” he said.