WHAT if I was to tell you my car does more than 2,400 miles to a full tank of petrol?

You no doubt would call me a liar. I mean, what car does that amount of mileage before filling up?

What if I then told you I pay nearly half the amount in fuel costs while doing it.

That's it, I hear you say, Mr Whitmore must have moved to another planet.

But before you think I've completely lost the plot, let me back up my claim - because it's true.

The reason my dated 1800 VW saloon - which is not a small car - can do this amazing feat is simple, I'm running on Liquid Petroleum Gas.

This means the only petrol I use is a thimble-full to start it before the car automatically switches to LPG.

Because of this, I am seriously getting more than 300 miles to one eighth of a tank - and multiply 300 miles by eight and you get 2,400 miles a tank. Visits to the petrol station have now become rarer than hearing a good word said about Gordon Brown.

And as I pay around £22 to travel more than 300 miles - to think it would cost around £40 to do the same amount on petrol - I am laughing all the way to the bank.

And the best bit is, whatever the age of your car, if it's not diesel or turbo charged, you can convert for around £1,000 depending on who you use for the conversion.

I have recently worked out that in the space of nine months I will have paid for the conversion and after that it's cheap motoring. And my mileage isn't that high, so if you cover a lot of ground you'll regain your costs in far less time.

But if you do fewer miles, yet are environmentally aware, maybe you'll want to do it because it's cleaner than petrol and it simply helps the environment. You get your money back still.

So what's the catch you all ask? The idea of converting your car to LPG probably makes you cynical. So here's what I found when I did some research.

First, safety. You'll be pleased the people who fit gas conversions are not very keen on the idea of them going bang. So conversions have state-of-the-art technology and tanks, which makes travelling with LPG safer then travelling on petrol.

Personally, if I thought my safety, or that of anyone travelling in my car, was being compromised by the conversion I wouldn't do it. Saving money is great, but not that great.

Then there's filling stations.

Like all conversions, my conversion is duel-fuel. This means if I'm running low on gas without a filling point nearby which is less likely than you may think, especially around Worcestershire I flick a switch and I am instantly back on petrol. Thus I continue on my way with no problem whatsoever.

Even on a recent trip to Harrogate I didn't struggle to find a gas filling point.

It is also claimed gas is kinder to your engine than petrol as it imposes less wear and tear, thus making it better for cars of every age and visits to the garage reduce.

And take it from me, with fewer visits to the garage, and savings on running costs it won't be long before you have the cost of converting back.

For more information on LPG conversion contact the following in Hereford and Worcester:

City and County on 01905 619916, Mykrotech Systems Ltd on 01386 870542, BG Land Rovers on 01600 891201 and Burgoynes Ltd on 01544 327441.