Motorists are now having to pay £5 a gallon for diesel again, according to the AA.

The average price for diesel at the pumps has reached £5 a gallon for the first time in just over a year.

The AA said diesel prices rose, on average, 3.78p a litre from mid-October to mid-November - going up from 106.24p a litre to 110.02p.

Average petrol pump prices in the same period rose 3.67p a litre - from 105.07p to 108.74p.

Unlike this time last year, when supermarkets were slashing fuel prices, the average price of supermarket petrol and diesel has risen more than 4p a litre in the last four weeks.

The overall increases have added £3.26 to the monthly fuel costs of a diesel car and £3.98 for a petrol car. The AA said that what was even more worrying was the fact that transportation and delivery companies had begun to add or increase fuel surcharges on orders. It said one refrigerated transport company now adds 1% to its invoices for every 2p rise in the price of diesel.

On average, the most expensive petrol is now to be found in Northern Ireland (109.4p a litre) and the cheapest in Yorkshire and Humberside (107.8p a litre).

Northern Ireland also has the highest average diesel prices at present - 110.8p a litre - while the cheapest diesel (109.1p) can be found in north west England and also in Yorkshire and Humberside.

AA public affairs head Paul Watters said: "Consumers are being hit when they fill up at the pump and when the higher cost of transporting goods is passed on in the shop. This once again puts a tighter squeeze on family budgets and undermines high street spending in recession.

"Road transport and delivery firms have learnt in the last two years to pass on the extra cost of fuel to their customers. Unfortunately, drivers don't have that luxury and the impact of higher fuel charges is compounded."