22 June 2001: The cost of running a family car has risen by 10 per cent in the last year, according to the AA. In its latest annual survey the organisation says the increase in cost for a car in the 1251-1500cc category (such as Ford's Focus or Nissan's Almera, left) is £674 for the year, to £7,257.

That's about 72.57p a mile on the basis of an owner driving the car 10,000 miles a year, and is way ahead of the rate of inflation. Among the elements leading to the rise were a car tax increase of between 4-6%, a 6.6% increase in insurance premiums, and petrol rises of 3p per litre despite a 2p cut in duty last December.

"Motoring is an expensive business when you look at all the costs together," says the AA's Conor Faughnan, adding that the 10% increase is 'dissapointing'. Full details of the survey are on the organisation's website at www.aaireland.ie CF/BB