The Government has been accused of ‘mugging’ the motorist ahead of anticipated rises in fuel duty.

The environmental audit committee is expected to call for even higher levels of fuel duty to put a brake on rising emissions from transport that have been linked to global warming. The move has been attacked by the Association of British Drivers.

"The environment is a fig leaf used to hide the government's embarrassment at having the greediest approach to taxing fuel in Europe, and an attempt to stave off the electoral unpopularity they deserve," says ABD Environment spokesman, Ben Adams.

"Raising fuel duty is a King Canute exercise as far as climate change is concerned. Its true aim is to fleece motorists.

Current modest variations in climate remain well within geological limits, which have seen temperature gradients several times greater on many occasions when there were no cars or factories around.

"The entire rationale for fuel duty hikes is flawed. The UK will already meet its Kyoto target, although this 'success' won't do the planet any good. All the scientific research the ABD can find - seven papers published in the last 5 years - show that rises in atmospheric carbon dioxide always occur after the temperature has gone up due to natural astronomical and geophysical forces. No self-proclaimed environmentalist, and no politician, can put effect before cause by raising taxes.”