Brighton and Hove was today urged to become a leader in the war against rising petrol prices on Dump the Pump Day by doing more to encourage the use of electric cars.

It came as motorists were urged to boycott garages across Sussex in protest against increasing taxation on petrol, which has caused fuel prices to rocket to 90p a litre.

Gerry Woolf, of Westmeston Avenue, Rottingdean, showed Brighton MPs David Lepper and Des Turner and John Ballance, chairman of Brighton and Hove Council's environmental services committee, the beauty of going electric.

Gerry and his wife Suzanne are using a zero emission electric Peugeot 106 car with its own charger on board.

It has a range of 45 miles in Brighton and is used for trips into Rottingdean village, Brighton, Lewes and the local supermarkets.

They have installed a 13 amp power point to where the Peugeot is parked at night and now enjoy mileage costs of 2p a mile, compared with the cost of running the average car which is estimated at 25p a mile.

Gerry, a technology journalist, is secretary of the Electric Vehicle Association of Great Britain. He is urging the council to lead the way in encouraging the use of electric cars which could make the new city one of the most pollution free in the country.

He wants to see EV parking bays, some with 13 amp power points, a zero emission zone in the town centre in five years' time and the council to buy or lease more electric vehicles to replace diesel and petrol-powered cars.

He said: "If we really want to clean up the air in our towns and cities and cut greenhouse gases, we should encourage the use of electric vehicles. This way we could dump the pump forever."

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove Council said: "We are always keen to promote alternative forms of energy, especially if they reduce pollution.

"We already use two electric vehicles, one with the parks department to water the hanging baskets around the centre, and another is used by the social care and health department for home visits."

Some motorists in Sussex decided to join in the Dump the Pump protest by refusing to buy petrol today. But garages on the main A23 into Brighton reported they were as busy as ever and the much publicised protest had failed to make any impact.

Derek Brown, 70, staged his own one man protest against the rising cost of petrol outside the St Leonards Filling Station, Kingsway, Hove.

He gave out leaflets urging the recruitment of more traffic wardens.

He believes increased fines would provide extra funds for councils and there would be a reduction in unemployment.

Mr Brown said: "All this saving would allow petrol tax to be reduced, not increased, and this Government would find itself a great deal more popular."