'Dump the pump' targets BP

Garry Russell's campaign website has had 250,000 hits

Campaigners angry at the level of tax on fuel are to boycott BP petrol stations from next week.

The call follows a second nationwide boycott of petrol stations on Monday, to put pressure on the government to reduce prices at the pump.

Despite little support shown on the forecourt for the first "dump the pump" on 1 August, organisers say almost four in 10 motorists back the boycott.

It is very wrong that BP should be singled out

Retail Motor Industry Federation

Organiser of the Boycott the Pump campaign, Garry Russell, says targeting BP will focus the campaign and keep the high price of fuel in the public eye.

His pressure group says it questioned 2,500 motorists at 132 garages last Tuesday, and found 38% supported the action.

It says the government's 75% tax level on fuel is unacceptable. But the government says nearly all of the recent price increases at the pump are the result of higher crude oil prices.

From next Monday the campaign will just target the garages of BP, every day of the week.

The boycott against BP will be every day next week

Boycott the Pumps says BP was the overwhelming choice of target among the drivers it spoke to, and making a real impact on one large company will increase pressure on the government.

Mr Russell told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "They are a petrol giant and very rich. We feel that if enough motorists do get behind this and boycott BP fuel stations, it will have an effect to get them to take this issue up with the chancellor directly.

"With this action directed at one fuel giant, we do feel we will be able to get our message across much better."

'Strategic error'

But John Bond-Smith, president of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI), told the Today programme: "I don't think it is going to work. I think it is very wrong that BP should be singled out.

"A lot of our members in the RMI have franchises at BP sites and it is their money and their families and their livelihood that are at risk."

Michael Johnson of the Automobile Association (AA) also believes such a move will backfire.

He said: "I think that is a grave strategic error on behalf of the campaign.

"What it says is some oil companies are bad, some oil companies are great and I think that just leads to confusion amongst the motorists," he added.

"We don't believe the government is going to make a reversal on fuel tax," he said.