Petrol stations sell out as 1000s join the queues - The Sun

The chaos saw garages nationwide run out of unleaded and diesel as FIGHTS reportedly broke out at the pumps.

Cops had to shut filling stations as gigantic queues led to traffic mayhem after No10 warned drivers to fill their tanks fast.

Motoring experts urged calm stressing a tanker drivers' strike might NOT actually happen and even if it does will need a week's notice.

But efforts to reassure the public were immediately scuppered by Cabinet Secretary Francis Maude coming up with his jerry cans idea.

He blurted it out as he backed PM David Cameron's advice that drivers should ensure they have enough fuel in their vehicles.

Mr Maude said motorists would be wise to take the precaution of having "maybe a little bit in their garage as well in a jerry can".

Last night he was blasted by the Fire Brigades Union, which warned hoarding too much fuel was dangerous and illegal.

It called on him to withdraw his advice. But he refused despite Mr Cameron himself wading in to try to prevent the fiasco blowing up in his face even more. The PM who yesterday chaired an emergency "Cobra" summit on what to do if the tanker men strike said: "There is no need to queue to buy petrol."

But it was too late. Filling stations that still had fuel left were being forced to ration it with drivers only allowed 30 worth as demand surged by 45 per cent.

Fuming motorists on Twitter accused some garages of hiking already sky-high prices by up to 8p a litre. Meanwhile jerry cans themselves started to sell out. Cardiff commuter Hazel Payne, 41 a sales director said: "I went to buy petrol cans but they had gone."

In Killingbeck, Leeds, an Asda filling station worker said of the massive queues: "Thank you very much Mr Cameron.

"What a silly thing for the Prime Minister to say."

The panic was mirrored across the UK. In Wilmslow, Cheshire, a drained garage was among the first to shut as motorists stewing in queues at Tesco pumps in nearby Handforth Dean beeped their horns in fury. Filling station worker Adam Watkins said: "We've been taking 3,000 per hour and sold a week's worth."

Queuing driver James Smythe, from Macclesfield, defended himself, saying: "It's not panicking it's just sensible. I can't afford to be without."

In Wirral, Merseyside, traffic control measures were activated to direct waiting cars at the BP garage next to the Cammell Laird plant.

At Man United ace Wayne Rooney's home in Prestbury, Cheshire, wife Coleen declared on Twitter: "Petrol stations are packed by ours. One has already ran out."

One frustrated driver said every single garage on her 18-mile journey on the A565 from Southport to Kirkdale, Liverpool had "insane queues."

In Llandudno, North Wales the Black Cat Shell closed with a sign reading: "No fuel sorry".

Similar notices went up in Blackpool and Birmingham.

Queues at a Sainsbury's garage and a Shell in Christchurch, Dorset, forced police to close them because the tailbacks were a danger.

Around 2,000 tanker drivers who deliver to 90 per cent of forecourts are demanding a deal on pay, hours, holidays and redundancies. Yesterday their union Unite met in London to decide whether to accept an offer of mediation from industrial peacemakers Acas.

Amid the pumps frenzy, Mr Maude was slammed as "incredibly irresponsible" by Shadow Treasury minister Chris Leslie. Brian Madderson, of the Retail Motor Industry Federation, said: "This Government appears intent on creating a crisis."

AA president Edmund King insisted: "There is enough fuel out there as long as people do not fill up unnecessarily."

n.parker@the-sun.co.uk

Video: Fuel strike "risks lives"

GOVERNMENT minister slams union over tanker drivers' walkout

• Sky News

By DAN SALES

YOU can legally store a maximum of 20 litres of petrol at home but only if you keep it in expensive ten-litre metal jerry cans.

The containers, below, normally cost about 18 each.

If you are using ordinary plastic five-litre cans you are limited to storing ten litres, giving a mere 80 miles of driving. Cars hold 50 litres.

The restrictions are laid out in a 30-year-old law, the Petroleum-Spirit (Plastic Containers) Regulations 1982.

It states that due to safety issues with the flammable fuel, only two containers can be held near any home. Plastic ones may only hold five litres and metal ones only ten litres.

By KEVIN SCHOFIELD

ED Miliband was last night urged to stand up to his union paymasters after he pointedly refused to condemn looming strikes.

The Labour leader said industrial action "must be avoided at all costs".

But he stopped short of telling Unite his party's biggest financial backer to call off its dispute over terms and conditions and health and safety at seven oil distribution companies.

Conservative co-chairman Baroness Warsi said: "Ed Miliband must get off the fence, bring his influence to bear and tell his union paymasters to call off this unnecessary strike. Until they do, he should not take a penny more from the Unite union barons."