DRIVERS have been left with damaged engines after a blunder at a Westbury petrol station saw diesel fuel put into two unleaded pumps.

The mistake on pumps seven and eight at the Total station, in Warminster Road, happened on Thursday, but wasn’t spotted until Friday morning.

Customer Sharon Diment, of Bratton Road, Westbury, had her unleaded Vauxhall Zafira filled with a quarter of a tank of diesel by her partner Jason Wright.

She said: “When I was out driving on Friday morning I lost all power. I phoned the RAC for recovery and told them the problem and they said it was an issue to do with the fuel.

“So, I rang Total straight away to report the problem. I was told that because it was the weekend it might be difficult to get it sorted straight away which simply isn’t good enough.”

Miss Diment’s car is being repaired at Alan Petrie Motors, in Trowbridge Road, Westbury and will cost around £600.

The garage is dealing with a number of similar problems on vehicles following the Total blunder, while Heritage Oval Peugeot, in Warminster Road, is working on two cars with the same problem.

Miss Diment is now waiting to hear from Total UK’s insurer Crawford Insurance about funding repair costs.

She said: “The timing has been awful, my two children have been off school, on half-term, so we’ve not been able to go anywhere. It’s been such an inconvience and a boring week off for my children.”

Total UK has apologised to customers and is investigating the error. A spokesman refused to say how many people were affected. She said: “We would like to apologise to any customers adversely impacted by this, and will ensure that they are compensated accordingly.”

Another customer, whose car is still parked on the petrol station’s forecourt awaiting repair, said: “They didn’t close the pump off immediately as I fuelled up my Ford Fiesta at 10.33am on Friday. I put around three quarters of a tank in. I left the station and the car ended up bunny hopping around the town.

“I stormed into the petrol station and around four or five other people were in there at the time complaining that diesel had been pumped into their unleaded cars.”

Any customers affected can call Total’s customer care team on 08457 346222.