Franchised workshops could benefit from motorists’ inattention when topping up their fuel tank, as records show a significant rise in misfuelling this year.

The report by one of the UK’s largest fleet management companies, Lloyds TSB Autolease, shows a 34% rise in instances where company car users have mistakenly put the wrong type of fuel into their diesel.

It also shows a rise in the average repair cost to around £400 per vehicle, following the introduction of more thorough repair procedures. However, in some instances, workshops are required to rebuild the engine at a cost of thousands of pounds.

Research by the RAC has also identified an increase in misfuelling. It recorded 33,000 incidents last year (31,000 in 2004).

“It is happening on average more than 400 times per day and it is now even excluded in many insurance policies,” says George Reid, Lloyds TSB Autolease head of technical services.