A major demonstration by road hauliers will take place on July 2 in London to protest against the high cost of fuel.

The Road Haulage Association, the lobby group TransAction 2007 and the Transport Association will all unite to call on the Government to reduce the high level of fuel duty charged here.

A convoy of heavy goods vehicles will make its way from the M40 Westway south to Westminster, while a large foot lobby will gather at tthe Houses of Parliament.

"This will be one of the biggest ever lobbies of Parliament by UK transport operators,” predicted TransAction spokesman Peter Carroll.

"This industry is so efficient that it often goes unnoticed but the second of July will be the day when it will make its voice well and truly heard.

"By the time we leave London on the afternoon of the second, members of Parliament will be left in no doubt as to the intolerable knock-on effects being suffered by a vast number of their constituents."

The industry is calling for the introduction of a fuel duty regulator, which was endorsed by the Scottish National Party and will be taken to the report stage of the Finance Bill in early July.

RHA Chairman Andy Boyle said: "The regulator would result in an automatic freeze on fuel duty increases if world oil prices rose above levels forecast by the chancellor with a corresponding reduction in fuel duty to match the extra revenue from VAT from higher pump prices.

"In the longer term, stability and parity with Europe would be achieved by the implementation of an Essential User Rebate in order to reduce fuel duty to the level elsewhere in the EU.”