Ford is giving away £540 worth of petrol to US motorists, to calm worries of rising fuel prices.

Ford said that as part of its new promotions programme, customers buying a new car would get either a pre-paid debit card for $1,000 of petrol or an equivalent discount on the car's price.

Ford is also giving $4,000 (£2,145) cash back on its Expedition SUV and up to $2,500 (£1,340) on other models.