Wayne one of 150,000 who misfuel every year, says AA

He may have felt embarrassed at the time but Wayne Rooney isn't the only one to have put the wrong fuel in his car. In fact the number of ‘misfuels' has doubled over the last ten years, according to the AA which launched its Fuel Assist service in 2007.

Current estimates put Wayne as one of around 150,000 motorists to misfuel each year -one every three and a half minutes - generating around 7.5 million litres of contaminated fuel, the equivalent of three Olympic-sized swimming pools.

AA Fuel Assist is available to all motorists but an AA membership will give motorists a significant discount on the service as well as providing full breakdown cover.

Donald MacSporran, AA Technical Performance Manager, comments: "As with many people who own more than one car, or in this case lots and lots of cars, it's all too easy to absent-mindedly put the wrong fuel in.

"If Wayne were to use AA Fuel Assist, we can have him back on the road after 45 minutes should this happen again, providing he calls us immediately and doesn't drive the car with the wrong fuel in the tank. What's more, we could have him save the thousands of pounds repair bills he could now be facing - enough to buy Coleen a new pair of Jimmy Choos!"

Extra information for misfuellers:

If you realise you have misfuelled, do not start the engine and call the AA on 0870 240 3985 for advice.

Depending on the level of contamination, the AA will advise over the phone if the vehicle can be driven safely.

In many cases, a fuel drain will be required but 99 per cent of vehicles will be back on the road after the 45-minute fuel drain.

In extreme cases, if the vehicle has been driven and the wrong fuel has entered the engine, the vehicle may need to be recovered from the roadside

AA Fuel Assist is a specialist roadside service that drains, flushes and replenishes vehicle fuel systems on the spot, saving the customer both time, money and inconvenience.