DIGGERS continue to rip up the forecourt at the Tesco filling station at Branksome as investigations into the contaminated fuel fiasco goes on.

The supermarket giant remains tight-lipped over exactly what is going at the station, where upwards of 100 motorists are thought to have suffered problems after filling up with dodgy diesel on Thursday, September 18.

It was closed days later as complaints flooded in. Since then all the pumps have been removed, the forecourt dug up and yesterday a tanker was on site. It is believed to drain fuel from the massive storage tanks below ground.

A spokesman for Tesco offered no more information but to reiterate they were undertaking an “urgent investigation” involving “complex testing”. Trading Standards are also investigating.

Motorists affected by the contaminated fuel saw their cars fail, often within hours of filling up, and many have been quoted upwards of £5,000 to repair the damage done.

After complaints about poor customer service earlier this week, Tesco appears to have upped its game.

Retired Jim Anderson from Ferndown said his five-year-old Jaguar had now been taken for repairs – which could cost £7,000.

“When it first started we were being told it could take up to 14 days, but as things hotted up I was put in touch with someone from head office who was quite helpful,” he said. “They arranged for my car to go to the garage and covered all the costs. I was a bit shocked they didn’t get things done straight away.”

Robbie Strudwick, of Southbourne, who said he had been offered the book price – £4,500 – for his 2007 Toyota Avensis and Tesco had agreed to cover the cost of a fortnight’s vehicle hire. He will need to wait at least a week for the money to clear.

The 22-year-old, who runs a photobooth hire business, said he had “pushed hard” to have his claim dealt with promptly.

“It’s been a bit of a battle,” he said. “I’ve had some very heated conversations. It’s been a big inconvenience and I’m looking forward to getting it all sorted out.”