HUNDREDS of motorists are today expected to join a boycott of the Mersey tunnels in protest at the recently-announced toll price increases.

Campaigners want drivers to use trains or the ferry to cross the river today.

It is one of a number of demonstrations expected to be held at the Queensway and Kingsway tunnels over the next month, following the announcement of the 10p price rise.

Howard Morton, the Conservative's prospective parliamentary candidate for Birkenhead and one of the boycott organisers, said: "Merseytravel is not listening to people and so the time has come to hit them where it hurts.

"I know people who are going to be genuinely affected by this toll rise. For instance, people who do voluntary work or look after sick relatives over the water. I have also spoken to businesses who want to stop using the tunnels."

Mr Morton said he expected the boycotts to gain in momentum.

He added: "I don't expect the number of people joining in this first boycott to be that significant, but as awareness grows, I think support will increase."

The 10p increase was voted through by Merseytravel in January and will come into force in the early hours of Sunday, April 3.

It is the first increase under the controversial new law giving the authority the right to put up tolls whenever inflation dictates, and will raise around an extra £1,745,000 in revenue a year.

The committee also agreed to scrap the current charging system, which splits vehicles into four categories, and will instead have just two different tolls. The change means some drivers will actually pay less.

But business leaders have also condemned the change.

Pressure group the Forum of Private Business (FPB) has criticised the move and claims it will cripple small businesses on Merseyside.

Chairman Len Collinson said: "The Merseyside economy will suffer as a result of this tax increase. The tunnel tolls are a tax on jobs, on trade and on any business that relies on cross-river travel.

"There is no doubt this hike will also harm business investment. For small firms, increasing the toll is dangerous because they cannot absorb the increased operation costs in the way big businesses can."

But a Merseytravel spokesman last night defended the decision to increase tolls and played down the possible boycott.

He said: "We are confident that the vast majority of tunnel users will continue to use them as they do throughout the year."

The spokesman added: "The toll increase of 10p was very fair and was the first one for almost a decade."