Empty shelves in Spain…and now Britain faces the same

Shoppers face the threat of empty supermarket shelves as petrol tanker drivers begin a four-day strike today.

The walkout by 640 Shell drivers, who last night turned down a 7.3 per cent pay offer, will also cut supplies to one in 10 British forecourts.

As panic-buying began last night, these scenes from Spain give a taste of what may be to come. Shops there have been hit by severe shortages as picketing hauliers threaten to cripple the country’s economy.

The Spanish strike, over soaring fuel costs, has paralysed the road network, cut off ports and sparked panic-buying of food and petrol. It is costing Spanish businesses an estimated