Disgruntled lorry drivers stage motorway protest as rising fuel costs begin to bite

More than 100 disgruntled lorry drivers and other motorists are staging a go-slow fuel protest on the M6.

The lorrries, along with vans, cars, motorbikes and a caravan, set off at 9am under police escort from Lymm Services at Warrington, Cheshire to Carnforth, 60 miles north in Lancashire.

Tony Burridge, who organised the protest, said the demonstration was the biggest go-slow fuel protest on the motorway since the first fuel demonstrations began in 2000.

Mr Burridge, 50, a logistics manager from Preston, said: ''We are hoping the strength of feeling shown during today's go-slow will persuade the Government to reduce fuel duty.

'I am confident that if enough people take a stand the Government will realise that the rising cost of fuel is intolerable for ordinary working people and their families.'

Mr Burridge, who works for Valera, a commercial cooking and refrigeration equipment company, added: 'It is not just hauliers who are facing hardship and having to make cut backs and redundancies.

'Looking at the line up of vehicles and people who have turned out today you can see that the high cost of fuel is hurting people in all walks of life.

'Today's go-slow wasn't organised by a professional organisation, it was organised by myself and my friends because we felt we should show support to our friends who are suffering.

'News of our plans spread through word of mouth and I think the level of support we have got is brilliant.

'I am confident that by standing together and staging this peaceful protest we can make the Government reduce fuel duty.'

Among those who joined today's protest was Steve Richardson, the owner of a Manchester-based chauffeur company.

He said his fuel bills had jumped from £1,700 a week to £2,500 in the last six months.

Mr Richardson, who has run his company for 15 years, said: 'I can't pass all of the fuel cost increases on to my customers, if I did I would have no customers left.

Disgruntled drivers say the rising price of fuel is putting them out of business

'The only solution is to make cut backs wherever I can, that means letting people go and denying others the pay rises they need and deserve.

'I'm angry that fuel duty is putting me out of business and I'm angry that the Government won't listen to us.'

Steve O'Hare, a shift worker in the IT industry, pays £75 a week to commute from his home in Crewe to work in Manchester.

He said: 'I wish I could use public transport to get to work but I have to use my car because the trains don't run at 4am.

'I work hard and I have a family to support and it is getting more and more difficult to survive the month because the cost of fuel, food and utilities is rising every week.
"The Government should be doing more to make it easier for families like mine.'

When they reach junction 35 at Carnforth, Lancashire, the protesters will turn back and travel down the M6 southbound, to complete the 120-mile round trip.

Lancashire Police have advised motorists to only travel on the M6 if necessary, and warned that the M56 and M62 may also become heavily congested.