Petrol station numbers fall to lowest level since 1912

There are now fewer petrol stations in the UK than in 1912, as small profit margins force oil companies and independent retailers to look for the door, information from the Petrol Retailers Association shows.

A total of 150 petrol stations closed between January and August 2007, leaving under 9500 active stations.

The figure includes stations run by supermarkets, and has prompted the association to predict that motorists could soon be struggling to find somewhere to fill up.

“Closures are not just in rural areas. Urban closures are causing equal inconvenience for motorists,” Ray Holloway, director of the PRA says.