Midhurst garages taking 'excessive profits' as cost of living soars

With petrol prices at their highest in more than two decades and household bills also on the up, families up and down the country have come face-to-face with a cost of living crisis.

In April Midhurst Town Council discussed Midhurst residents having to pay more for petrol and groceries than people living in Chichester a little over ten miles down the road.

Now district councillor Midhurst, Gordon McAra has said garages in the town are ‘overcharging’ residents and claimed they are taking what he called 'excessive profits’.

Speaking to this newspaper, he said: “Petrol stations in Midhurst are taking excessive profits and pushing up the cost of living for local residents. What with perennial higher prices charged in the local supermarkets, family budgets are really feeling the strain.

"Local garages should support their local communities a bit more, rather than raking in growing profits and it would also be good to see some real price competition between our two garages.”

Cllr McAra said petrol is being sold as low as 160p in Manchester while people living in the north of Chichester district are forking out 185.9p a litre despite wholesale prices falling by over 20p per litre over the past few weeks and petrol selling for up to 10p less in Chichester.

A spokesperson for BP said makes the company a profit margin of a ‘few pence’ per litre sold and operates in competition with ‘many other players’ and does not always set the pump price.

Esso has also been approached for comment.