Fuel crisis in South East is still ‘absolutely horrendous’ as Army begins delivering to petrol stations

THE fuel crisis in the South East has been blasted as “absolutely horrendous” by experts – as the Army begins driving tankers to deliver petrol.

Countless pumps are still running on empty nation-wide, with the fuel crisis a serious issue in London and the South East, according to the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA).

Now, nearly 200 soldiers are delivering fuel in a bid to end the crisis after going through a crash HGV course.

Military tanker drivers have been undertaking training at haulier sites and have been deployed to deliver fuel to forecourts across the country to help relieve the situation, which the Government insists is stabilising.

And soldiers were seen delivering fuel for the first time today – at a Shell Garage in the New Forest, Hants.

Chairman of the the Petrol Retailers Association Brian Madderson said the Midlands, North and Scotland are “doing pretty well” for fuel.

But he stressed that London and the south are a different story, telling LBC: “Early signs from our polls this morning show again that the Midlands, North and Scotland, are doing pretty well, and more and more of their filling stations are getting stock. 

“There is far less stock out and far less surge buying. Normality is creeping in to that party of the country, but London and the South East are absolutely horrendous.”

He told how in his home-town of Kent, locals are tracking the movements of tankers on social media just to be able to top up for “normal tasks”.

He added: “I live in Kent and when I was out yesterday the local social media was pinging away saying ‘just seen a tanker down the road on the A20, we think a tanker is coming in here’.

“And so, people really are desperate to get fuel to do their normal tasks.

“London and the South East seems to be really awful. I had one of my retailers from Bracknell ring me this morning, saying all six sites, including the two supermarkets are out of fuel.”

As the fuel crisis rages on – and desperation heightens – the Sun yesterday revealed how a petrol station charging almost £3 per litre sold out.

Gulf station in west London, charged desperate fuel-short Brits £2.93 per litre to top up – almost double it’s normal £1.98-per-litre charge.