THE price of petrol and diesel has hit £2 a litre in Sussex, prompting the RAC to declare a “national fuel crisis”.

The cost of filling an average family car with petrol hit £100 for the first time in the UK.

The RAC motoring group called it "a truly dark day" as the cost of filling a 55-litre tank reached £100.27 for petrol and £103.43 for diesel.

Photographs taken at Pease Pottage in Sussex show petrol priced at 202.9p and diesel at 204.9p.

The Argus: Photographs taken at Pease Pottage in Sussex show petrol priced at 202.9p and diesel at 204.9p Photographs taken at Pease Pottage in Sussex show petrol priced at 202.9p and diesel at 204.9p

Figures from data firm Experian show the average price of a litre of petrol at UK forecourts reached a record 182.3p on Wednesday.

That was an increase of 1.6p compared with Tuesday, taking the average cost of filling a 55-litre family car to £100.27.

The average price of a litre of diesel on Wednesday was 188.1p.

Simon Williams, from RAC, said the average price of petrol crossing the “thoroughly depressing” threshold of £100 a tank was bad news for drivers.

“There’s almost certainly going to be upward inflationary pressure, which is bad news for everybody,” he said.

“While fuel prices have been setting new records on a daily basis, households up and down the country may never have expected to see the cost of filling an average-sized family car reach three figures.”

Mr Williams said many people will be hoping for further financial support from the Government as the 5p-per-litre cut in fuel duty “looks paltry” because wholesale petrol costs have increased by five times that amount since it was introduced.

“A further duty cut or a temporary reduction in VAT would go a long way towards helping drivers, especially those on lower incomes who have no choice other than to drive,” he added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted the 5p-per-litre cut in fuel duty implemented in March to have “an impact on the pumps”, adding that the government is watching retailers “very closely”.

The AA called for a further 10p-per-litre cut in fuel duty and the introduction of a “fuel price stabiliser” which would see the rate lowered when prices rise, and increased when prices drop.

The firm’s president Edmund King said: “Enough is enough. The Government must act urgently to reduce the record fuel prices which are crippling the lives of those on lower incomes, rural areas and businesses.

“A fuel price stabiliser is a fair means for the Treasury to help regulate the pump price, but alongside this they need to bring in more fuel price transparency to stop the daily rip-offs at the pumps.

“The £100 tank is not sustainable with the general cost-of-living crisis, so the underlying issues need to be addressed urgently.”