Queues of panicked motorists are forming at petrol stations across the north-east amid rumours of a fuel shortage.
Despite pleas for motorists not to panic buy, drivers in and around Aberdeen have been lining up to fill up their vehicles, with especially long queues at Asda and Sainsbury’s in Garthdee.
Cars are also threatening to block the A92 Aberdeen to Stonehaven road at the Shell near Kincorth.
A number of fuel stations across Aberdeenshire and Moray have also reported a massive surge in customers.
While they haven’t been swamped by the same type of queues that city centre filling stations have, some have experienced around “three times the usual amount of customers.”
Gary Simpson, owner of the Drum of Wartle Filling Station said: “It has been exceptionally busy today, people have been fully filling their cars and some have brought jerry cans with them.
“As far as supply goes, we don’t have a problem, I have a tanker arriving later this afternoon and another one on Tuesday.
“Business is obviously good but it is for the wrong reasons.”
One Moray petrol station worker said: “We haven’t really struggled with supplies, it has been very busy don’t get me wrong.
“We have had about three times the usual amount of customers but we are coping.
“We have just had a delivery so we don’t have any fuel shortage problems at the moment.”
Shortage of lorry drivers hit supplies
A lack of both unleaded and diesel fuel is being blamed on driver shortages.
BP has announced that it will temporarily close a handful of its petrol stations due to shortages.
While Esso owner ExxonMobil also said a “small number” of its Tesco Alliance petrol forecourts have also been impacted.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps suggested adding HGV drivers to the skilled worker list for immigration purposes would not solve the problem, although he insisted nothing had been ruled out.
The issues around petrol supply, on top of problems in the food industry and rising gas prices, have led to warnings the Government faces a “winter of discontent”.