IT pays to shop around as Worcester drivers are finding it continues to be a lottery on prices at city petrol stations.

Earlier this year the Worcester News reported how fuel prices had soared to their highest level in two years, at an average of £1.17 nationally.

The average for a litre of unleaded petrol in the UK this week is £118.8, while Worcester's average is slightly higher at £119.2, according to PetrolPrices.com.

A small drive around around Worcester proves how shopping around really is worth it.

The cheapest we found was Tesco in St Peters, charging £116.9 for unleaded and £117.9 for diesel.

The Gulf garage on Henwick Road has £119.9 per litre for both unleaded and diesel - the same price as the Texaco garage in Bath Road and the BP Garage in Whittington Road.

Meanwhile the BP garage at Lower Wick is priced at 120.9 for unleaded, and £121.9 for diesel.

And the most expensive we found was the Murco garage in Powick, which priced unleaded at £122.9 for unleaded, and £123.9 for diesel.

The RAC Foundation has continued to highlight the issue of rising fuel costs, pointing out the poorest car-owning households in the UK remain deep in "transport poverty".

Earlier this year the charity highlighted that to fill up an average family car with a 55 litre fuel tank, at a price of £120.2 per litre and £122.3 for diesel, would cost £66 for a petrol tank and £67.27 for diesel.

Crucially though that was more than £10 higher than a year ago.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “These figures are a stark reminder of the huge financial burden running a car brings with it, especially for those least able to afford it but who still rely on being able to drive in order to access things like education, health services and employment.

“Tellingly, the amount of money spent running a car has remained high even through an era of relatively low fuel prices."

Worcester MP Robin Walker said it was good to see prices were close to the average having been much higher before, and said more competition - for example ASDA or Morrisons opening a petrol station in the city - would help drive prices down further.

"It is important motorists get a fair deal," he added.