Petrol stations in Scotland forced to close after running out of fuel

Petrol stations across Scotland have been forced to close after running out of fuel amid the rising cost of fuel and the war in Iran.

On Thursday, drivers reported shortages in Dundee and Fife on social media, with pumps in Glenrothes, Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy, St Andrews, Dairsie and Cupar reportedly out of fuel.

Asda, Tesco, and the company that operates Morrisons petrol stations have been contacted for comment.

Despite the cost of petrol and diesel soaring to their highest levels in years, drivers have been opting to fill their tanks.

Figures show the cost of filling the average family car with diesel has exceeded £100 for the first time in more than three years.

Scotland

Hundreds queue at petrol station amid rising fuel prices and empty pumps

The cost of filling a typical family car with diesel has exceeded £100 for the first time in more than three years, new figures show

The RAC said the average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts on Wednesday was 184.2p, up 29% since the conflict in the Middle East began on February 28.

Average petrol prices have reached 153.7p per litre, a rise of 16% over the same period.

Meanwhile, data compiled from the pump price comparison website PetrolPrices.com shows that a litre of diesel costs up to 217.0p at some forecourts in rural Scotland.

The shortages come just days after hundreds of drivers in Glasgow were spotted queuing for fuel at Costco.

The price of oil has soared in response to Iran’s stranglehold on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that while the government was preparing to offer taxpayers financial assistance with energy bills amid soaring costs, that support would not be coming yet, and it would not be for everyone.

Reeves indicated there was no prospect of immediate help from the Treasury for hard-hit motorists who have seen the cost of filling up at petrol stations soar since the Middle East crisis began.

It comes as a planned 1p rise in fuel duty is set to take effect in September.

The Chancellor said she is using a three-month delay between price caps, when warm weather means energy consumption is lower, to assess what support could be provided.

Fuel shortages have been reported in Scotland. iStock

Meanwhile, Donald Trump said the UK and other countries which did not take part in strikes against Iran should secure the Strait of Hormuz themselves.

The US president said countries which “refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran” should “build up some delayed courage, go to the strait and just take it”.

In the latest sign that his Middle East campaign has severely damaged long-standing relationships, Trump suggested its allies will “have to start learning how to fight for yourself”.

On Thursday, the UK’s foreign secretary Yvette Cooper is set to host talks with a coalition of countries aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Britain is seeking to lead a diplomatic initiative, understood to include 35 countries such as France, Germany and some Gulf nations, to restore access to the waterway, but the Prime Minister has admitted it will not be easy.