A filling station in Castlepollard has been forced to close after the family behind it saw customers disappear in the wake of the ‘Petrol Stretching’ scandal which has been affecting North Westmeath and Meath for a number of months.
Gerry and Elaine Doyle were, for seven years, operating a successful and popular business on the Mullingar Road, opposite Castlepollard Community College. They were sourcing their fuel from a fuel merchant in Oldcastle until alarm bells started to ring and they changed supplier.
They believe that petrol from the original supplier was ‘stretched’ with the illegal addition of kerosene. This seriously affects car engines and Topic understands that as many as eight claims were made against the couple. Locals began to buy their petrol elsewhere following advice from motoring organisations and insurance companies to stick to the ‘big brands’ and the Doyles were left with no alternative but to close.
At a very well-attended public meeting on petrol stretching at the Show Hall, Oldcastle, last Friday, Elaine emotionally and bravely spoke about the hardship she, her husband, Gerry, son and staff have been put under through no fault of their own.
Another local petrol station owner, Geraldine Clarke from Finea, also addressed the meeting, saying she has no customers as locals shy away from smaller stations, preferring to drive extra miles to the bigger stations in towns like Mullingar, Kells, Oldcastle and Athboy
Both ladies told over 300 people at the meeting that they never suspected a thing and it wasn’t until motorists with damaged engines came to them that they realised their fuel had been contaminated. Now, the Doyles in Castlepollard are seeking help from insurance companies, the revenue and the original fuel supplier as they seek answers as to how the fuel they bought in good faith was tainted.
SYMPATHY
Local Councillor Paddy Hill said the whole North Westmeath community is affected by petrol stretching and he feels great sympathy for the Doyles, who employed three staff at their family-run filling station.
“These are innocent victims who were buying from the same source, as was Geraldine in Finea,” Cllr Hill told Topic. “They are devastated and they must be compensated, someone has to compensate them as they have lost a business through no fault of their own. Their insurers have to stand by them, and the State has a responsibility to them. Revenue has lost money on petrol and diesel, but jobs have been lost which is the real tragedy here.”
Many people from Westmeath attended the Oldcastle meeting on Friday, with a good turn-out of politicians, mechanics offering advice but no legal teams or Gardai or representatives from Customs. Frustration and anger was palpable with several horror stories aired. “We don’t want sympathy, just compensation,” said one speaker from the floor.
The meeting was organised by the Oldcastle and District Fuel Group who say more will be held in the future as the scandal spreads.
PETROL STRETCHING – READERS’ STORIES
One reader, who did not wish to be identified, said she had been in contact with her insurance company who aren’t willing to cover the damage to her engine.
“As a goodwill gesture they will cover the cost of cleaning the fuel lines and tank, as long as the engine is stripped back so they can take a sample from the cylinder. Stripping back the engine will cost about a day’s labour and they are not saying that they will cover this cost.”
Another reader told us a 2012 car went in to be fixed under warranty in the Mullingar garage where he bought it. However, the large motoring corporation in question sent the fuel in the tank to independent labs and it came back that the fuel had been laced with kerosene. The cylinder head was coked with carbon and the motorist had to pay for it as the car marque “washed their hands of it when it came back with bad fuel”.
The latest petrol stretching involves adding between 6 and 10 per cent volume of kerosene to petrol. Kerosene is available for as low as 80 cents per litre, as opposed to petrol which retails close to double that.
Kerosene is completely unsuitable to add to petrol and will damage an engine even more quickly than laundered diesel, which was a big problem in recent years.
Common indicators for motorists that this may be a problem include a lack of power, misfiring of the engine and the engine warning light coming on.
Motorists may also experience a knocking noise and low compression. These symptoms are more noticeable when the engine is cold. Mainly smaller petrol engines in cars including Toyota, Volkswagen, Opel, Nissan, Skoda, Hyundai, Kia and others have suffered in recent weeks.
Some insurance companies that used to cover engine and associated damage resulting from contaminated fuel, now exclude it in their policies. Most motorists are not aware of this fact until they go to claim. They have been advised to keep all receipts and contact Revenue as well as their insurance company.
