Panic Buying Fuel Must Stop

Environment Secretary George Eustice has urged drivers to stop panic buying in an effort to return supply to normal usage levels.

Petrol stations across the UK have been running out of fuel due to increased demand, fuelled by stories in the media of a handful of forecourts being forced to shut.

This escalated into a nationwide panic to stock up on petrol, resulting in a far worse situation with huge queues and many more forecourts closing.

The Petrol Retailers Association has warned there could be two-thirds of its membership (of 5,500 independent outlets) out of fuel.

“The only reason we don’t have petrol on forecourts is people are buying petrol when they don’t need it,” said Eustice.

“The most important thing is that people just buy petrol as they normally would. There isn’t a shortage.

“There does come a time when things settle down, people get used to it and return to life as normal again.

“The quicker people do that the better.”

Some have blamed media outlets for sensationalising a previously minor shortage due to a lack of HGV drivers to deliver the petrol.

With Government insisting that refineries have plenty of stock, dramatic headlines such as The Sun’s ‘We’re Running on Empty’ and ‘Panic Monday’, as well as the Daily Mirror’s branding of the situation as ‘petrol pump chaos’, have been partly blamed for the surge in demand which has exceeded supply.

Experts have predicted it could take weeks for the situation to return to normal.

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