US fuel retailers have expressed concern that calls for boycotts over the

BP Gulf oil spill could harm their businesses. Retailers have reported that they have been coming under increasing pressure as consumer groups have asked people not to buy fuel from BP filling stations in the US.

BP has come under fire for not being able to stem the leak which has been spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month.

Meanwhile, US politicians have been demanding BP should suspend dividend payments to shareholders until the full costs for cleaning up the spill are calculated.

BP forecourts in the UK have not experienced any negative fallout of the oil spill yet. Motor Fuel Group director Sailesh Sejpal - known as Sej – said the protests so far seemed to be confined to the US.

He said: “I think BP has always struggled to make its mark in the US. But as a British company, it has always been a very important brand over here.

“We haven’t heard any negative comments at any of our BP sites. And other BP retailers seem to feel sympathy for BP – this will cost billions to fix, plus there has been pressure from President Obama. I’m sure BP will get the situation resolved but I don’t know if they will ever really recover in the US.”

A BP spokesman said of the situation in the US: “BP’s opionion is that people are entitled to their opinions and to express them however they wish.”