NORTH-EAST MPs have called on the government to introduce a greener fuel which would cut emissions equivalent to 700,000 less cars on Britain's road.

Stockton South MP Matt Vickers and Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison have written a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Transport calling for the introduction of E10 fuel.

Mr Vickers, who has been appointed along with Ms Davison as the co-chair of the All Party Group (AAP) for British Bioethanol, warned his constituency on Teesside faced an “uncertain economic future” if action is not taken by 2020.

The greener petrol E10 is made up of a 10 per cent blend of bioethanol, while currently only five per cent of bioethanol is present in petrol stations across the country.

Mr Vickers said: “Many of my constituents’ livelihoods depend on this crucial industry, which will only survive if E10, the greener petrol, is mandated at the forecourts before the end of 2020.

“The introduction of E10 would bring with it countless benefits for people across the country, including further investment in the next generation of biofuels.”

Research suggests E10 fuel will improve air quality, make petrol cars greener and support more than 6,000 British jobs working in the bioethanol industry.

Encouraging the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps to introduce E10 along with Mr Vickers, Ms Davison said she urged the Department of Transport to make the fuel available at pumps “as soon as possible”.

She said: “I am proud to support an industry that’s vitally important to my constituents in Bishop Auckland.

“I will be working with my co-chair, Matt Vickers, to encourage the Department for Transport to make E10 available at the pumps as soon as possible in order to both support the British economy and protect the global environment.

“As such, we encourage the DfT to publish its consultation into E10 at the earliest opportunity.”

The APP , whose secretary is Redcar MP Jacob Young, said the £1bn industry faced collapse unless the new fuel, which is present in parts of Europe and the US, is not introduced by the government.

It forecasted that without the introduction of the fuel, hundreds of jobs in the region would be at risk of redundancy.