Lorry drivers protest in London

Lorry drivers protesting against rising petrol and diesel prices are expected to bring London to a standstill today.

One thousand lorry drivers will converge on the A40 Westway before moving into central London, supported by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), the lobby group and the Transport Association.

Hauliers will also march to Parliament while the lorry drivers decend on London.

Lorry drivers are calling for a rebate of 20-25p per litre on fuel duty.

Peter Carroll, spokesman for TransAction and a road haulier, said: ‘Our industry is being driven out of business. Continental hauliers are able to run in the UK using cheaper fuel from abroad.

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‘The Government needs to realise that the surge in oil prices has changed the world. It is madness to insist on charging the highest level of fuel duty in the EU on top of a world price that has rocketed. If nothing is done, thousands of UK hauliers will go bust.’

Duty on diesel in Britain is 50p per litre, compared to an average of 25p per litre in the EU.

Central London could be brough to a standstill later today as up to 1,000 lorry drivers converge on the A40 before heading into central London.

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