Hitchin MP Bim Afolami has slammed extortionate petrol prices after Nub News' special report on the cost of fuel crisis.

Following our article noting the discrepancy of a whopping 17 pence per litre of petrol across the two separate BP Garages in Hitchin, Nub News took the issue up with our town's Parliamentarian Mr Afolami.

We visited all four of our town's fuel forecourts last week, (Thursday, June 9) and found an extremely large - and concerning - difference in the pricing of fuel, in particular the cost of petrol.

That day, the BP garage on Bedford Road charged an extortionate 17 pence more per litre of petrol than its counterpart on the Stevenage Road, while the Bedford Road BP garage near the Priory School, was inflicting a scarcely believable price of £1.95.9 on motorists - the most expensive price per litre of petrol ever recorded in Hitchin at the time - while its sister station fewer than two miles away, was charging £1.78.9 pence per litre of petrol.

"I am extremely concerned about the cost of petrol and diesel at the pumps. I have discussed this with parliamentary colleagues and the Energy Secretary," Mr Afolami MP told Hitchin Nub News.

" I am looking at what we can do to bring prices down and to make sure that fuel retailers are passing on the 5p cut in fuel duty that the Chancellor recently."

The Competition and Markets Authority are said to be investigating instances where cuts have not been passed onto the consumer.

While there is no evidence that KVT Garages - who run the Bedford Road garage - have done anything untoward, the government has said it has seen evidence that forecourts within the same retail chain are offering different prices in different areas - and could act.