MOTORISTS across Inverclyde have called for their fellow residents to join them in an effort to boycott local petrol stations until local prices come down.

Port Glasgow businessman James Watson, 58, is one of a growing number of customers who say they are staying away from Tesco, BP and Morrisons forecourts in protests of growing fuel costs.

Mr Watson, who runs the Kickback Martial Arts centre, says Inverclyde is being 'ripped off'.

He wants locals to band together and snub local stations that won't bring their pump prices in line with those charged in neighbouring areas.

James said: "The prices are going up every day, I guarantee you it'll hit £2 soon.

"People are scared of having to work all week, not be able to pay the bills at home and then not be able to get to work because of their fuel costs.

"It's getting worse on a daily basis.

"Clearly there are a lot of people making money off of our misery here.

"I'm self-employed and every day my clients are struggling more and more with this because they can't afford it.

"I teach classes all over Inverclyde that I have to drive to, and my costs have almost doubled.

"Inverclyde has been an area of deprivation for years, but it doesn't show in the big companies that have shops here.

"They're doing nothing but ripping us off.

"Heat your house, fill your car or feed your weans - that's the choice a lot of people have."

Mark Anderson, a 57-year-old lorry driver, told the Tele that he would no longer buy fuel in the area because of the spiralling costs.

He added: "The people of Inverclyde are paying higher fuel prices because they aren't getting out and doing something.

"The prices in Inverclyde are down to pure profiteering.

"If you keep buying fuel from these places, nothing will change.

"Tesco and Morrisons live on profit and loss sheets, this is the only way you can get through to them.

"The politicians make the noises but they don't take the action, it has to be the people that solve this."

Ross Cameron, 37, who is from Greenock has been calling for people to pressurise local politicians to take action.

But Mr Cameron believes a customer boycott may be required if elected officials won't take the issue forward.

He said: "This issue has been going on for a while and people are exhausted because there isn’t really a lot of objection from local representatives.

"My advice to anyone frustrated by this is to contact your local MP and MSP and don’t give up.

"I want our politicians to have conversations with the local supermarkets so that this issue and the people in the area get the attention they deserve.

"If politicians do not do their job then boycott could be an option.

"Tesco and Morrisons are making profit from the area and know if they play the long game the discussions will just go away, but for the people here the issue doesn’t.

"We need to challenge MPs and put pressure on representatives to bring this issue to the table

"The people of Inverclyde deserve better treatment."

In response to the local outcry about the differences in prices, a Morrisons spokesperson said that their prices were the lowest within five miles of Greenock.

They said: "While Greenock and Paisley are relatively close, in the UK fuel prices can differ from town to town and even from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.

"Despite the current volatile and increasing wholesale cost of fuel we aim to be the cheapest in each area we operate and are currently at least 2.0 pence per litre below any other fuel stations within 5 miles of Greenock."

Tesco and BP had not responded to the Tele's request for comment when we went to print.