Silicon suspected in petrol contamination scare

A ‘FAULTY fuel’ scare that triggered fears among thousands of motorists across Britain may have been caused by silicon contamination.

Industry sources claimed last night that traces of the chemical were found in preliminary tests on batches of suspect unleaded petrol.

They stressed that although silicon was found, it is not yet known what form it was in, where it came from or if it is the cause of the breakdowns.

Experts fear a contaminant may be responsible for damage to delicate sensors in some vehicles, causing engines to switch to emergency settings.

But Dr Richard Pike, chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said silicon in its most basic form was an unlikely culprit.

He said: “The heart of this is quality control assurance and the possibility that chemicals not usually used in the oil industry have contaminated the petrol.

“It may be something in the base of a container that was not washed out. That is one way the contamination could have got in.”

Dr Pike warned that silicon could be easily confused with silicone, a substance used as a lubricant or sealant in engineering.

Workers at every stage of Britain’s fuel supply chain are checking their stocks in a bid to pinpoint the source of the fuel crisis.

The Trading Standards Institute said results will not be available until today at the earliest.

Worried drivers bombarded motoring organisations with phone calls yesterday, with the number of people asking the AA for advice more than doubling.

Patrols also reported a significant increase in the number of vehicles with damage possibly caused by faulty fuel.

Broadcasters were deluged with complaints, with the BBC receiving more than 4,000 emails and text messages from drivers complaining of problems.