The affected pump has been isolated and an investigation has launched (Picture: Getty Images)
Dozens of cars stopped in their tracks after drivers filled up with ‘contaminated’ fuel at an Essex petrol station.
A quick trip to the BP garage in Rayleigh, Essex, turned into a nightmare for motorists after their cars stopped working shortly after.
Now BP has said that the tank was affected by contaminated fuel, the Sun reports.
Drivers were left to pick up the pieces, with footage showing one car being helped by a recovery firm on the side of the forecourt.
Fuel Out, a recovery firm based in Benfleet, claimed that it received 30 calls from affected drivers, according to the Daily Gazette.
Owner Lee Pretlove told the outlet: ‘This does not happen frequently, and it is very rare but we are still doing jobs around this on Thursday, it has been three days solid.
‘We never see this many at all, the technicians pass jobs on to us and we have had loads of calls, we have been inundated.’
The garage was shut on Tuesday before it was able to reopen the following day with the pump out of use.
A BP spokesperson said: ‘We have identified an issue at the site with a potentially contaminated tank, which is currently under investigation.
‘The affected tank in question has been isolated and the site is now open and operational.’
BP has launched an investigation and is assessing ‘the number of people who may be affected.’
Concerned customers who visited the forecourt can contact the support team at careline@bp.com.
It is thought that only the Rayleigh station is affected.
Mr Pretlove alleged that around 100 cars may have been affected and other recovery firms such as the AA and RAC were likely alerted as well.
One of the first signs of contaminated fuel are engine issues, especially if the problems appear to start out of the blue.
Symptoms of contaminated fuel in the tank include speed fluctuation, loss of acceleration and spluttering, experts at Fuel Fixers say.
The quicker drivers respond if suspecting a contamination, the less damage the tainted fuel will cause.
Recovery operators are able to drain the tank.
Meanwhile, recovery firms have been inundated with breakdowns this week due to cold weather and icy conditions.
The RAC said it has been one of its busiest weeks for breakdowns in the five years since the coronavirus pandemic.
Follow our live travel updates here as the weather is set to remain cold until Sunday, disrupting roads and railways.
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