[12
SEP 00] FUEL PROTESTS
Panic On The Roads of Warwickshire
Panic buying by
motorists have led to long queues and short tempers across
Warwickshire as the race for the remaining supplies took a grip
yesterday.
Warwick seems
to be the driest place in the county for fuel.
Queues
stretching from the town along the Birmingham Road out to a
garage in Hatton as motorists queued for hours for the last
drops. Police said the road was blocked to through traffic from
5pm for three hours last night.
The M40 Warwick
services at Barn Hill have no fuel. Corley services on the M6,
near Coventry, is one of the few locations with all grades of
fuel - but expects its supplies to last only until
mid-afternoon.
Police have
reported flashpoints on the A34000 in Shipston in the south of
the county and congestion around any service station still
selling fuel, with unleaded petrol in the shortest supply.
Some rural
stations are now selling to their regular customers only.
Supermarkets have lifted their prices to around 81.9p per litre.
People have
been warned the public not to make long-distance journeys as
fuel supplies are running low or have run out, leaving people
unable to complete their journey or return home.
Emergency
services are curtailing their non-emergency use of vehicles.
Mick Brewer,
deputy chief constable of Warwickshire said:
“We are
confident that we can provide a normal level of service to the
public and have activated contingency plans which will enable
us to do so.
“Police
officers will still be out on patrol and the public’s calls
for assistance will be managed in the usual way.”
The oil
refinery at Kingsbury in the north of the county is still
blockaded. Police have tried to mediate between the protesters,
who have blocked the entrances with 20 lorries and tractors.
The
constabulary said it is a ‘peaceful protest’ and have found
a ‘cooperative dialogue from both parties’.
Councils are
meeting this morning to sort out how services, such as bin
collections, home helps and schools, will be affected if fuel
supplies do run out They expect to issue information later on
how services will be affected.
Warwick
District Council said all services are currently operating as
normal, but with council staff postponing on non-essential
journeys.
[12 SEP 00] EMERGENCIES
WILL STILL BE ANSWERED
[11 SEP 00]
FUEL COSTS ARE DAMAGING BUSINESSES
- CHAMBER
|
