An 80-year-old has been left unable to visit his son in hospital after he unknowingly filled his car with contaminated fuel.

Kenneth Edwards’ 1990 Polo conked out days after he filled up from a petrol station in Newhaven.

After dropping the car off at his local mechanic, he read in The Argus about the suspected batch of contaminated fuel at the Texaco on Avis Way, Newhaven.

He checked his receipt to find that he had put nearly eight gallons in on the same day as others who had broken down.

He said: “There was no lead up, it just stopped dead.

“The RAC came out and did tests and concluded that it was full of contaminated fuel. I was on the way to visit my son in hospital in Eastbourne. Now I’m having to get the bus.

“For an older person it is just so convenient to have a car. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Tests needed

Mr Edwards went back to the Tate’s Fuel-run garage with his receipt only to be told that there was nothing they could do.

However, following a call from The Argus, Tate’s Fuel area manager, Rob Gochmanski, said he would contact Mr Edwards about the problem.

He added: “We sent off fuel samples for tests but the results were inconclusive.

“We are having further tests done to find out if the problems are linked to our fuel.”

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