MOTORISTS face soaring prices of £5-a-gallon and above at many petrol stations across Gwent.

Incensed by the rising price of fuel, some mot-orists are verbally abusing petrol station staff, while the high cost of running a vehicle is hitting hauliers, taxi drivers and commuters alike.

An Argus survey of 36 petrol stations found most already sell petrol at £5 a gallon. The most expensive petrol was on sale at the Texaco garage in Blaina, which priced unleaded petrol at 112p a litre, or £5.09 per gallon.

A few garages still offer petrol at 107.9 a litre - once considered expensive, but now about the best value in Gwent. The cheapest petrol we found was on sale for 106p per liter at Waitrose, Abergavenny, but that was apparently due to rise to 107.9p today.

Many of Gwent's most costly petrol prices can be found just off the M4 corridor in Monmouthshire.

First Magor services currently sells unleaded petrol at 119.9p a litre, as does Undy Services' Texaco garage and the BP garage in Rogiet.

Pam Wood, owner of Undy Service, is among those breaking the £5 a gallon ceiling by charging 119.9p a litre -among the highest prices in Gwent. She says she is getting abuse from aggressive drivers taking out their anger at the rising prices on her, even accusing her of setting the prices and pocketing the profits.

"They think I'm making a lot of money. The odd one understands that the price is set by the supplier, but most don't realise."

She said she had spoken with the suppliers and relayed her concerns to them.

She added: "I don't understand why it is so dear at this end?"

Even commuters travelling the short distance between Cardiff and Newport are feeling the pinch.

Information analyst Fiona Northfield from Rhiwderin says she puts at least £25-worth a week into her car.

Despite only commuting some 20 miles a day, from Newport to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, she says the money does not go as far as it used to.

"You find that the same cash doesn't take you the same miles as it would do before, so you plough more in," she said.

"I used to use the car whenever but I tend to ration it. It's making things like trips to see the family very expensive."