Ghost garage

Shoreham's busiest fuel garage '“ normally open 24 hours a day '“ was forced to shut after a frenzy of panic buying by motorists all day on Monday and Tuesday morning.

It remained closed into the evening before supplies arrived on Tuesday night to restock the pumps, but drivers were still queueing to buy petrol yesterday morning.

Five years ago, farmers and hauliers brought Britain to a standstill with a series of blockades at refineries, aimed at forcing the government to cut petrol and diesel taxes.

As soon as reports emerged that they were planning similar action this week, if the government did not cut tax on rocketing petrol prices, drivers started panic buying on Monday.

And it didn't stop them emptying the pumps on Tuesday, despite protesters saying they would not blockade depots, but hold peaceful demonstrations.

Lines of traffic clogged roads as motorists waited up to half an hour to fill up. Police warned that panic buyers would have only themselves to blame for any fuel shortages.

The BP garage, in Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham, had run out of unleaded fuel for most of Tuesday and was forced to close early.

Staff at the Total garage, on the Saltings roundabout, had to direct queues of drivers waiting for petrol to the pumps.

Garages were reporting selling a week's supply in one day, but a Tesco spokeswoman refused to admit that the garage had closed because of supply problems.

"Obviously, we have experienced a change of pattern in customer buying during the last few days, but we don't have a supply problem with fuel."

One driver, who arrived at the Tesco garage to find it closed, said: "It's crazy. The only reason we will have a petrol shortage is this panic buying.

"They will have to start rationing the amount we can buy at the pump, like they did five years ago, if this carries on."