Fuel protest convoy sets off panic at the pumps

Fresh fuel protests were taking place across England and Wales last night, sparking panic buying among consumers fearful of shortages.

Fresh fuel protests were taking place across England and Wales last night, sparking panic buying among consumers fearful of shortages.

As the protesters' leaders tried to haul the issue up the political agenda, a convoy of about 60 lorries and 40 was moving towards oil refineries at Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven.

Dozens of protesters gathered at Avonmouth Docks near Bristol, and there were reports of protesters at Stanlow oil refinery in Cheshire and at a depot in Ipswich.

Mark Greene, a key figure in September's fuel protests, said: "We want to give the Government a reminder that we are unhappy and that they can't forget about us. We are going to do something and we are going to keep going until we are happy. We have been ignored and the Government can't palm us off."

At Avonmouth Docks about 40 campaigners gathered near the docks' oil refineries but by late evening the numbers had dwindling to about 25.

The crowd included David Handley, chairman of the People's Fuel Lobby. Mr Handley complained the issue of fuel taxation needed to be higher on the election agenda. He told the BBC's Newsnight. "All we want is for Mr Blair to recognise that there's a grassroots feeling out there that politicians are not addressing the matter."

Speaking before the protests began, Mr Blair said Britain still had one of the lowest overall taxation levels for motorists in Europe, when factors such as toll roads and excise duty were taken into account. "The fuel duty in our first term of office went up by less than it did in the Tories' last term of office, that is the 1992-97 Parliament."

But the Conservative leader, William Hague, sympathised with the protesters' cause. Outside a party rally in Bradford, Mr Hague said: "The price of fuel is too high but the way to change it is through the ballot box. People have the opportunity on Thursday to bring the price of fuel down."

As consumers recalled last September's crippling fuel shortages, news of the new protests sparked panic buying.

An assistant at the Caereau Service Station in Maesteg, south Wales, said the outlet would limit the amount of petrol people could buy from tomorrow. "There is absolute chaos," she said. "We have to close early to sort everything out and are putting a £20 limit on the amount of petrol people can buy from tomorrow. We've had people coming from everywhere."

Large queues were forming in several petrol stations in Cardiff. One petrol station worker said: "Customers have come in saying there are massive queues in all the other garages."