UK: Tempers fray as Shell strike begins to bite

Petrol sales up 25 per cent as drivers queue at pumps across the country

Tempers frayed and frustration rose with the lengths of the queues on garage forecourts yesterday, with people hurling insults and vehicles literally scraping past each other as motorists jostled to get to the pumps.

With striking workers continuing to blockade Shell petrol depots around the country, there were growing reports of panic buying and people travelling dozens of miles just to fill up. Supermarkets have said they struggled to meet demand, and some garages are predicting they will run out of fuel.


More than 100 petrol stations had closed by noon yesterday, as strike action began to bite. And in the 24 hours from noon on Friday to yesterday lunchtime, demand for petrol was 25 per cent higher than for the same period last week, according to government figures passed to The Independent on Sunday.

Huge stocks of petrol are already stuck at fuel depots as a result of a national strike that has seen hundreds of drivers support calls not to cross picket lines.

Independent