SAVE Group, which operates the Save brand of petrol filling stations, saw profits more than halved last year to £2.05 million for the year to December 23 last year, from £5.5 million for the same period in 1998.

It laid blame mainly on rocketing crude oil prices which were were not reflected in equivalent increases at the pumps. Turnover dropped from £422.8 million to £420.6 million in the same period.