A PAIR of Topsham motorists scooped third place in a national fuel efficiency challenge. Martin and Heather Boult, from Newport Road, discovered they could save �619 a year on petrol bills after they took part in a campaign where their travel habits were

A PAIR of Topsham motorists scooped third place in a national fuel efficiency challenge.

Martin and Heather Boult, from Newport Road, discovered they could save �619 a year on petrol bills after they took part in a campaign where their travel habits were monitored over a six week period.

The campaign was put together by Shell, a global group of energy and petrochemicals companies.

Participants' journeys were monitored using cutting-edge in-car telemetry technology.

Heather Boult said she was astonished to see how much they could save by making simple changes to the way they travelled.

"We have changed our behaviour without needing to revolutionise our lifestyle," said Mrs Boult.

Results of the challenge showed that by people changing behaviour in two areas - driving in a fuel efficient manner and local journey planning - families could achieve significant savings on their petrol bills.

Mrs Boult added: "We encourage other families to follow the Shell Smarter Drivers tips - they really do make a big difference and once you start doing things like driving more smoothly they become second nature."

Martin has started taking the bus to work saving him �38 a week on parking costs and Heather has lost five pounds in weight from walking rather than driving short distances.

The couple have bought their children, Catherine, 12, and Ryan, 10, new bicycles with the money they have saved on fuel.