PRICES have hit a new high at a petrol station in Barrow.

Shell, on Abbey Road, posted its prices at 195.9p for diesel after reports of shortages of the fuel at supermarkets in the town.

One motorist said: "Last night when Asda, Morrisons and Tesco ran out of fuel, Shell garage on Abbey Road bumped their prices up to a ridiculous amount 195.9 for diesel. 

"That's more than motorway prices. They thought they could make a killing off the Barrow people thinking there was nowhere else for us to go.

"The Barrow people will not stand for it."

Someone else who spoke to The Mail said: "On the day UAE upped production of oil, forcing the cost of a barrel to fall, the Shell garage greedily decided to up their prices to £1.96 a litre.

"That's higher than any M6 services in the county and possibly the biggest in Cumbria."

And there have been calls to direct anger to the right place after staff at a garage in Millom received abuse from angry customers.

Others argued it was best to avoid the garage until prices were in line with other local garages.

Duncan Mills said: "People need to boycott it and remember what happened to the garage where Abbey Road Car Sales is now.

"They inflated the prices during the shortages some years ago and the rest is history.

"Shell garage at the Strawberry are exploiting the people of Barrow - this garage needs boycotting."

Chris Myers argued the problem was bigger than individual garages.

He said: "It's profiteering by the refineries - the stuff they will bring will have been sat there for months.

"But they use the war as an excuse to bump up the prices, just like restaurants do for Valentines or Christmas Day.

"Russia may be a big oil supplier but that's still no excuse for corporations to make it harder for people to carry out their daily lives."

No-one from Shell garage was available to comment.