A FURIOUS York motorist has hit out at York's "rip-off" petrol prices - when compared to what his counterparts in Leeds are paying.

Pensioner Peter Richardson drives more than 250 miles a week in his 1.9 litre Rover diesel.

But he refuses to buy fuel in York, as he claims prices here are "the most expensive for some distance."

Instead, he fills up during his fortnightly trip to Leeds, where he claims to save at least a penny a litre.

Haxby resident Mr Richardson told the Evening Press: "I visit the Asda filling station, on the A64 as you drive into Leeds.

"I pay 72.9p a litre there for diesel, but at Asda Monks Cross you pay 73.9.

"The savings may not seem much at a penny a litre, but they do add up. If you are doing a lot of miles obviously they add up even more."

The unleaded at the Leeds Asda sells for 67.9 pence a litre, while the same fuel costs a penny more in York.

Other price differences can be found at the Tesco in Seacroft, Leeds, and York's Tesco in Clifton Moor.

Again, the Leeds store sold diesel and unleaded a penny cheaper a litre, with lead replacement petrol the same price. Mr Richardson described all price differences as "outrageous."

"The profits are being paid straight out of the motorist's wallets," he said.

A Tesco spokeswoman said the store's price policy is "not to be beaten" in a three-mile local area.

"Petrol is a volatile market and the price goes up and down. If we can pass savings on, we will.

"This means that it isn't that some prices are dearer, it is that, by comparison, some are cheaper."

An Asda spokeswoman said: "We have a regional pricing policy on petrol, and try to keep our prices lower than any competitor in that market place.

"In an ideal world we would charge the same prices right across the board.

"However, when we cut prices that way the bigger players take us on and people won't come to us because they think we are higher."

Updated: 12:47 Monday, December 03, 2001