A COUNCILLOR has demanded that petrol station operators commit to bringing local petrol prices in line with neighbouring areas amid the outcry about rising costs.

Labour's Martin McCluskey says soaring fuel prices in Inverclyde are pushing locals 'to the brink' and forcing them to make difficult decisions to pay basic bills.

The Gourock councillor has now written to the heads of BP, Tesco and Morrisons asking to meet with him about the crisis.

In his letters to the fuel bosses, Mr McCluskey highlighted the difference in petrol and diesel prices in Inverclyde and neighbouring areas such as Renfrewshire.

He told the Tele: "There are international pressures contributing to this, but what's particularly worrying is the fact that prices seems to be going up here faster - and more than they are going up just 15 miles up the road.

"It's not like this is a rural area that's far away from where they have to deliver the petrol and diesel from - and these are companies that between them have made over seven billion pounds of profits in a year.

"It's not unreasonable to say that people shouldn't have to break the bank to fill up their car, especially in an area like Inverclyde where you do need a car to get to a lot of places.

"People are looking at rising energy bills, growing food costs and continuing hikes in the price of petrol."

The elected member has also raised questions about whether savings from the recent five pence cut to fuel duty on petrol and diesel had been passed on to consumers.

He added: "If the fuel duty cut is what the government is saying is the biggest help that people can get, we want to know that it's going into customer's pockets and not into the businesses' profit margins.

"This shouldn't be a party political issue, everyone elected to represent the people of Inverclyde needs to be joining together on this.

"The more voices and the louder the voices around this the better."