Aldermore Bank is backing the fuel campaign group FairFuelUK.

The lender believes that crippling petrol and diesel costs are stifling UK growth and hurting its tens of thousands of UK customers. However, it sees SMEs as hardest hit.

FairFuelUK is also backed by the RAC and the UK road freight community and over 300,000 members of the public.

Quentin Willson, national spokesman for FairFuelUK said: “We welcome the support of Aldermore. FairFuelUK is pleased to have the support of a Bank that understands about lending to small and medium sized businesses. It’s a perfect philosophical fit.”

Damon Walford, managing director of invoice finance at Aldermore said: “Our focus is on helping the SME industry in whichever form that takes, whether that’s lending to businesses or supporting a cause which directly affects them, we want to champion on behalf of the SME and I’m delighted Aldermore has joined FairFuelUK’s campaign.

“The fuel rise planned for August has been rescinded but it is still due to be enforced in January 2013 and therefore, Aldermore in tandem with FairFuelUK, is hoping to bring the plight of the cost of fuel, once again to the government’s attention, not just in terms of the impact this will have on the SME but Britons in general, after all, it affects everyone.”