SUPERMARKET price wars have driven the cost of diesel to consumers to - less than 98p a litre - a six- year low.

Asda was the first of three of the country's biggest retail chains to drop diesel prices, reports our sister title the Evening Times.

They cut a litre of diesel by 2p to a six-year low of 97.7p, while unleaded remained at 99.7p per litre. Asda said these are the maximum prices motorists will pay at all of its 279 UK filling stations.

The cost of plummeting prices on the North Sea oil industry has prompted the prime minister to set up an oil support group to help deal with the issues.

The group will be chaired by Oliver Letwin, minister for government policy, but is also expected to include Fergus Ewing, the Scottish National party business minister in the Edinburgh government.