CAMPAIGNERS are calling on residents to back an upcoming boycott of local Tesco pumps in a bid to bring down fuel prices in the area.

Community activist and local businessman John Houston is one of those behind the ‘Fair Fuel for Inverclyde’ online campaign, which is organising a boycott of Tesco Greenock and Port Glasgow’s petrol stations.

Mr Houston says the group hatched the plan after the recent publication of The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) probe into the cost of fuel for UK motorists.

READ MORE: Competition and Markets Authority fuel price report sparks anger

The report revealed that British drivers were paying out 6p per litre more at the pump than they should have under proper competition in 2022.

Greenock Telegraph: Boycott calls made after CMA report into Inverclyde fuel prices

Mr Houston told the Telegraph that he believed people in Inverclyde were among the hardest hit by the inflated prices, a belief which has sparked his calls for action.

He said: “We noted the recent CMA report, which was pretty damning for supermarket fuel retailers.

“The fact is that there are other areas paying significantly less for their fuel that Inverclyde, which is arguably one of the poorest areas in Scotland.

“This goes far beyond the cost of filling up your car, everything from local deliveries to your takeaways will be priced higher as a consequence of this.

“It’s costs that some families in Inverclyde simply cannot afford.

“It’s quite easy to just tell people to go out of town to fill up, but some people can’t afford to do that or can’t spare the time.

“Moreover, when they go out of town to fill up, they’re taking their business elsewhere, which will hurt the people of Inverclyde again.

“What we’re asking for is fuel price parity with other areas and meaningful reductions across the service providers in the area.”

Following the publication of the CMA’s report, Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan called for action on the ‘postcode lottery’ that he says surrounds fuel prices in the UK and told the Telegraph that Tesco bosses had ‘once again’ refused to meet with him.

Mr Houston says that he and his fellow campaigners are planning to boycott Tesco’s local pumps between July 24 and 30 in an effort to get them to bring down prices and agree to meet with Mr McMillan.

He added: “Tesco have deemed it unnecessary to have any meaningful discussions with our representatives in the area which is why we’re starting with them.

“It’s Tesco just now but if we don’t see those prices come down then we will start looking at boycotting other areas.

“For the week beginning July 24 until 30 we’re asking people to fill up at any petrol station other than Tesco in Port Glasgow and Tesco in Greenock.

“We’re going to be putting more information about it on the Fair Fuel for Inverclyde Facebook page, so anyone taking part should keep an eye on that.

“We’ll keep going until we get the message across, these companies don’t realise sometimes until the takings from the till are hit.

“We need to gather as much support for this as possible, the customer is king.”

Tesco did not reveal whether they were willing to meet with Mr McMillan when approached by the Telegraph despite being asked.

A spokesperson said: We regularly monitor fuel prices throughout a local area to ensure we’re providing competitive prices for our customers and our fuel prices in Inverclyde are very competitive with other petrol stations nearby.

“We welcome the CMA’s recommendation to introduce a fuel finder scheme to provide customers with greater transparency on prices in their local area and will support moves to introduce this.”