Petrol stations await stock as fresh supplies are snapped up

Queues were reported all over town at the weekend drivers reacted to rumours of a national fuel shortage — denied by the Government — by flocking to top up their tanks.

By yesterday, forecourts stood as empty as the pumps they housed, with cones and fire buckets placed where cars normally pull up indicating the lack of stock.

Of five service stations visited by the Advertiser during the rush hour yesterday, four were totally out of fuel and the fifth only had diesel available.

And this morning, the picture had not changed, with four displaying “No fuel” signs or out-of-order pump clips.

The fifth, on Wellgate, had two out of eight pumps running and a queue stretching out onto the road as motorists took the chance to fill up.

Last night, a queue of up to 25 cars formed on Bawtry Road in Brecks after the Tesco filling station took a delivery.

The crisis has been blamed on a lack of tanker drivers, with ministers insisting there was not a shortage of fuel.

The army will be called in to help deliver fresh stocks, while the Government has also introduced a visa scheme to encourage more drivers from the EU to take jobs ferrying fuel.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “While the fuel industry expects demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, it’s right that we take this sensible, precautionary step.

“The UK continues to have strong supplies of fuel, however we are aware of supply chain issues at fuel station forecourts and are taking steps to ease these as a matter of priority.”