MOTORISTS are being warned not to panic buy fuel following news that a number of petrol stations have been forced to temporarily close across the country.
Pictures showed large queues forming at Asda in St Helens this afternoon and the were also reports of motorists facing waits at Tesco this morning.
The situation comes after BP announced it was closing a handful of its stations in the country due to the ongoing shortage of HGV drivers.
However, there is no suggestion of shortages in St Helens and drivers are urged not to panic buy.
The AA has told drivers not to “fill up outside of their normal routines” as petrol stations across the UK see huge queues at forecourts as drivers rush to get fuel following warnings.
Meanwhile, a Government spokeswoman said: “There is no shortage of fuel in the UK, and people should continue to buy fuel as normal.
“We recognise the challenges facing industry and have already taken action to increase the supply of HGV drivers, including streamlining the process for new drivers and increasing the number of driving tests.
“We continue to closely monitor labour supply and work with sector leaders to understand how we can best ease particular pinch points.”
The driver shortage crisis has affected businesses across the UK including major supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s.
Now, the HGV driver shortage has hit the oil giant with deliveries of petrol and diesel to some forecourts across the UK.
BP told the Government in a meeting last Thursday that last the company’s ability to transport fuel from refineries to its network of forecourts was faltering.
BP’s head of UK retail Hanna Hofer said it was important the Government understood the “urgency of the situation”, which she described as “bad, very bad”, according to a report by ITV News.
According to ITV News, Ms Hofer said BP had “two-thirds of normal forecourt stock levels required for smooth operations” and the level is “declining rapidly”.
It is unclear how soon deliveries could be restricted but fuel will not be restocked for one and a half days a week “very soon”.
Motorways will be prioritised and stocked as normal according to reports.
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