GAZETTE & HERALD: SUPPORT is believed to be growing for a boycott of Lyneham patrol station tomorrow (August 13), but the managing director of the garage has told villagers to buy more fuel if they want prices to come down.

The idea for the boycott of Chippenham Motors on the Chippenham Road in Lyneham first appeared on the interactive forum pages of the village website, www.lynehamvillage.com, two weeks ago.

Disgruntled villagers demanded to know why petrol was cheaper in neighbouring villages and urged people to show their anger by buying their fuel elsewhere.

Last week, protestors brandishing placards told how they felt forced to travel into Swindon to save money on their fuel bills. Since then, more and more villagers have gone online to say they will be joining the boycott tomorrow.

But Stephen Andrews, managing director of the Chippenham Motor Company has also now logged-on to the site and refuted claims that he is ripping off Lyneham-ites.

"What the members of the Lyneham community should do is to use the Lyneham BP more, so that I can demand a better deal from BP and pass on the savings," he wrote.

"Please remember, BP does not own any of the sites that you are talking about in your forum, they are all franchised by BP to sell the fuel and BP, in conjunction with the world prices for fuel, govern the cost prices that we have to pay."

He challenges members of the forum to guess how much his company profits from a litre of petrol net of VAT, with £20 of free fuel to the person who guesses correctly first.

Website manager Andy Humm said: "Mr Andrews' marketing strategies are a bit peculiar"

He added: "We have continued to have lots of positive feedback for the boycott and I believe many people will be making a stand and not buying petrol there on Friday.

"We are serious about wanting to make a stand on rising prices because we should not be penalised for living here."

But not everyone supports the protest. Courier and Lyneham villager Brad Matthews, said: "People should be supporting their village resources, like the shop and the petrol garage.

"These people need to make a living and if we want to keep these businesses here, we should accept that we need to pay a little more."