Hundreds of truckers have driven to London to protest against rocketing diesel and petrol prices.

A convoy of around 90 hauliers drove in to the capital from Kent and was joined by around 150 lorries from Essex and at least 100 more travelling in from Bedfordshire.

The protest was swelled by many other hauliers from all around the UK.

"We're expecting around 600 to 1,000 lorries to make it to London," said Peter Carroll, one of the protest organisers.

The owner of Seymour Transport, which has three bases including one in Maidstone, Kent, Mr Carroll went on: "We have received tremendous support for our protest, particularly in the last few days.

"There's a great atmosphere this morning. There is relief that the journey is under way, anger about high fuel prices and a determination that the Government does something to help the haulage industry."

The hauliers arrived in London at around 10.30am and parked on a closed section of the A40.

The truckers then staged a rally at Marble Arch and plan to send a delegation to hand over a letter at 10 Downing Street.

The hauliers, and other road users, are now enduring record high petrol and diesel prices, with diesel well past the 120p-a-litre mark.

Mr Carroll said: "The Government takes about 60 per cent of the cost of fuel in tax.

"Buses get nearly all this back in rebates and we want the Government to introduce an essential user rebate to help hauliers and save them from going out of business."

Mike Presneill, a leading member of Transaction 2007, who is helping to organise the protest, said: "Fuel is rocketing. The Government has the power to act but appears not to be listening. Hundreds of UK transport firms are being driven to the wall. Thousands of UK jobs are being lost.

"Foreign hauliers are entering the UK with cheaper fuel purchased abroad. All we are asking for is that the Government introduce an essential user rebate so that we can compete on a level playing field with continental hauliers."

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