Pump prices in the UK have hit new record highs on the back of continued rises in recent weeks.

The cost of filling up a 55-litre family car with unleaded has now topped £80 for the first time ever, while the same price for diesel is now a whopping £82

The average price of petrol has topped 146p a litre for the first time ever, after having climbed 3.5p in under three weeks. This means filling up a 55-litre family car with unleaded has now topped £80 for the first time ever.

Diesel is also at an all-time high of 149.66p, RAC Fuel Watch data has revealed, after adding a further 2p a litre to the record price reached at the start of October.

A full tank of diesel now costs £82 and the RAC has warned that diesel is about to hit the “miserable milestone” of 150p a litre.

The outlook for the coming weeks is also bleak, due to ongoing rises in oil prices.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “Drivers are desperately in need of some respite at the pumps, but it’s hard to see when that’s going to come and it could well turn into an excruciatingly expensive winter for drivers. Oil is still trading well above $80 and the cost of the bio components of both fuels are higher than ever and retailers are still taking more margin per litre than they traditionally do.

“The combined effect is going to be hard for many families on lower incomes who depend on their cars day to day.

“There will also be a very unwelcome impact on businesses, which tend to be very dependent on diesel, and, in turn, this will lead to a knock-on effect on retail prices potentially adding more fuel to the fire of rising inflation.”