THE cost of getting your car serviced depends on what garage staff think of the radio station you are tuned to, it has emerged.

Mechanic Bill McKay freely admits that how much he charges customers depends on whether or not he likes them, and whether he likes them depends on which radio station they listen to.

McKay said: “You can tell a lot about a person from their car radio. Anyone who listens to Radio 2 is automatically gonna get 20 per cent added. Think of it as a boring bastard tax.

“I’m also adding a few ‘extras’ for the Radio 4 types who earn loads of money and read books and stuff. I’m sure most of them will agree that the redistribution of wealth is an important economic principle.

“Sometimes a customer is totally sound but then it turns out they like a bit of Radio 3. If you’re a classical music nerd you probably don’t know anything about cars, so it’s a massive premium for you. Sorry, just how it works, mate.

“However if the radio starts blaring talkSPORT or Radio X it means they’re alright. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and charge the going rate.”

He added: “If anyone’s been listening to Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden I do the job for free. These customers clearly have serious mental health issues and I’m not a monster.”