Two-car families pay £40 extra per month as fuel prices soar, says AA

Crude oil's 20% price leap and sterling's slide against dollar have made cost of petrol and diesel rocket at pumps

Rocketing UK fuel prices mean that two-car families are now spending almost 40 a month more on petrol than a year ago.

Crude oil prices have risen 20% since the Saudi-led Opec cartel agreed its first production cut in eight years at the end of November, from $46.50 (37) a barrel to about $56 now. This has pushed petrol prices in the UK higher, exacerbated by the pound's slide against the dollar, as oil is traded in the US currency.