Diesel sold by Tesco in Saffron Walden on Monday was contaminated after a water leak. Customers who filled up at the garage on Radwinter Road found their cars stopped working. Readers contacted The Saffron Walden Reporter to complain that hundreds of pounds of damage had been done to their vehicles.

Vince Pretious from Saffron Walden, owner of a Ford Galaxy, said: “I bought the diesel on Monday night and on Tuesday my car died. It was raining in the evening and I wanted to collect my wife from work in town and drive her home but she had to walk.

“The AA took my car to Gates the Ford dealer in Bishop’s Stortford and they asked if I had bought diesel from Tesco, they had seen at least two other cars in the same situation.

“They are going to have to take the fuel tank out and clean it and flush through the fuel system.” He estimates the cost at around £850.

A post on social media site Street Life read: I would be interested to hear from anybody who has bought contaminated diesel from Tesco’s in the last few days. I bought diesel on Monday morning. I am waiting for the AA to arrive. I am told that the AA have been called out to at least 20 people.”

A Tesco spokesperson said the problem affected only one pump. He said: “We are investigating an isolated water leak in one of the fuel tanks at our Saffron Walden filling station which happened on Monday, January 11. The problem was isolated quickly and we are in touch with the few customers who were affected.”