HAULAGE companies in Worcester have called plans to increase fuel duty "outrageous" and backed attempts to scrap it.

Bosses said rises in the price of petrol and diesel over the last few months and the fact that fuel now costs above £1 a litre has reduced the need to increase prices by 2p from the beginning of April.

Tony Tansell, owner of Tansells in Diglis Road, said the proposed increase is "phenomenal", not only for small businesses like his, but anyone who drives a vehicle.

"It's outrageous," he said. "We keep having to increase the costs for our customers all of the time. We don't want to but it's a case of having to in order to survive."

Mr Tansell said although his business has two 18-tonne HGVs, he only sends them on journeys within the West Midlands these days because the price of fuel is so high.

"They are doing about 300 miles a day and that's a lot of fuel," he said. "It might not sound a lot but when you get the bill at the end of the month you see it's a lot to pay."

M Pinches and Sons at Blackpole Trading Estate has 22 vehicles that travel all over the UK.

The firm's director, Martin Pinches, said he thought the Government was targeting the wrong people. "We are an easy target," he said. "I went to Gatwick Airport the other day and I couldn't believe the amount of foreign vehicles there.

"They don't buy fuel in the UK, they buy it abroad, and they don't pay towards any upkeep of our roads - that's who he (Chancellor Alistair Darling) should be targeting."

Mr Pinches said he was hopeful a meeting between the Chancellor and representatives of the Freight Transport Association and the Road Haulage Association - due to take place yesterday - would bring an end to the plans.

"He's gone back on his word before and the Government is not doing very well in the popularity stakes at the moment so I think if he doesn't do something about it they will lose more ground." he added.

Motoring organisations including the AA, RAC Foundation and British Chamber of Commerce have also backed calls for the fuel rise in April to be binned.