I was grateful for all the help you gave me in the past so I thought I would give you a feed back on the effect of these high fuel prices in country areas of Sussex. I know you rely on feedback for your motoring intelligence and information. My in laws run a small nursery and organic food business in Sussex.

They depend on town people travelling to the country for their business. Since well before Christmas and now their business is down over 20%. People are just not using their cars like they once did, and are not travelling into the country to shop. The petrol station down the road is reporting that sales are also down as much as 20%, and they have had to lay off two members of staff. Their customers are definitely cutting back on the times they are using their cars.

Lastly there has been a spate of oil fuel thefts from storage tanks in peoples back gardens. Thieves simply cut off the padlocks on the tanks and use pumps to steal the fuel. Also travelling thieves are drilling out the locks on car and van tanks to steal the contents. They are also drilling the tanks themselves and selling the fuel from laybys at 75p a litre. Some villagers here are laying in wait with shotguns to deter fuel thieves.