ALMOST 20 per cent of petrol forecourts in the South West have closed in the last five years, according to new figures.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) says 19 per cent of dealer sites in the region have shut down since 2008, with an estimated loss of 870 jobs.
PRA chairman Brian Madderson said: "The closure of each and every petrol forecourt in the South West means the loss of local jobs for local people and has a negative impact on the economy in the area.
"It is also the loss of a local convenience not just for those seeking to purchase fuel but other every day essentials that so many sites now offer their customers.
"We are particularly concerned with the sites in rural locations which have closed, creating 'fuel deserts' in those communities which rely on the service the most.
"Many of these rural sites have seen both fuel and shop sales dwindle as the more mobile residents are drawn to a supermarket for a weekly major shop when they also fill with fuel."
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