Large queues at petrol stations amid fuel shortage panic

Drivers have been queuing at petrol stations across the country.

Large queues have been forming at petrol stations across Scotland amid fears of a fuel shortage.

The scenes come despite assurances from the UK Government that drivers should continue to “fill up as normal”.

Delivery issues led to several garage closures throughout the country on Thursday.

Esso owner ExxonMobil said a “small number” of Tesco Alliance petrol forecourts have been impacted by disruption to petrol deliveries.

BP told the UK Government in a meeting last Thursday that the company’s ability to transport fuel from refineries to its network of forecourts was faltering.

The Road Haulage Association and the AA have both tried to ease concerns by saying there will be enough fuel to go around and that the delivery issues, blamed on a shortage of HGV drivers, were consigned to a small number of areas.

But the advice failed to have the desired effect and on Friday as drivers could be seen queuing at stations in areas including Port Glasgow, Stirling and East Kilbride.

Others took to social media to document the crowds gathering at garages throughout Scotland.

Twitter user Derek Geddes posted a picture of a garage packed out with several rows of cars waiting their turn.

Robert McCallion said: “It appears the “Don’t Panic Buy Fuel” message has worked a treat Massive queues at every petrol station from Wemyss Bay to Port Glasgow It’s all going well.”

And Ian Martin Tweeted: “In a very long queue at Tesco petrol in Port Glasgow. We’re in trouble aren’t we?”

On Thursday 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”.

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