SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has hit back at claims that their Ammanford store is the most expensive in Wales for petrol by insisting they only compete with other prices in the area.

The Guardian has received several calls from irate drivers who claim that they are being unfairly charged more than those living close to other Tesco stores.

Tesco in Pontardawe, which is their closest store to Ammanford, charges 85.9 per litre for petrol, a full 3p less.

But the company has hit back at drivers, insisting that their prices are driven by local competitors.

"As with the vast majority of petrol retailers in the UK, including the oil majors BP, Shell, and Esso, and other supermarket groups, Tesco does not operate with one national price.

"Our clear goal for customers is to endeavour to be competitive on petrol and diesel in the local catchment area for each store.

"With the volatile cost of oil and frequent changes to competitor prices, there could be times when Tesco may not be the cheapest in the locality."

An Ammanford motorist, who asked not to be named, said it was disgusting that residents were paying more than those in other towns.

"It smacks of profiteering," he declared. "Tesco should pick a price for petrol and stick to it in all their stores.

"If anything, the price differential encourages motorists to drive to another store, just to fill up.

"It flies in the face of government policies on climate change, which aim to discourage car use."