Diesel shortage: Drivers queuing for fuel as filling stations reply low stocks

Diesel shortages were being reported in some parts of Shropshire as supporters of Just Stop Oil disrupted supplies from facilities for the fifth day in a row, demanding the UK government ends new oil and gas projects in the UK.

The situation had improved in the Telford area after several filling stations ran out of diesel on Monday. All fuel was available at the Asda in the town centre, although 15-minute delays were reported at the pumps.

Other filling stations, including the Shell on Holyhead Road at Red Lake and Tesco at Wrekin Retail Park had either closed all or some of their pumps.

Meanwhile in Market Drayton stocks were also running low, with no diesel available at Morrison's or Shell in the town centre. A small amount of standard unleaded continued to be available.

A spokesman for the Shell filling station in Cheshire Street said: "We have had a steady flow of motorists this morning but stocks were already low after the weekend and we haven't had a delivery today, I'm not sure when we will be getting the next one, the supply chain seems disrupted."

At the Shell Garage, Lower Barr in the centre of Newport only unleaded was available but no problems were reported in Shrewsbury or Whitchurch, where stocks at the Victoria Garage, Newport Road were said to be 'high'.

More protests were expected at the Kingsbury Fuel Depot in Warwickshire this afternoon after 68 arrests over the weekend.

However, Anne Walters, of the Midcounties Co-operative in Foldgate Lane, Ludlow said they were still expecting a delivery tomorrow.

She said: "We are fine with supplies of all fuel at the moment and we are expecting another delivery tomorrow afternoon - we are aware of the possibility and likelihood of more protests but we think we will be ok, we certainly are at the moment."

There were also no problems reported at Euro Garages on the Stourbridge Road in Bridgnorth and they received a fuel delivery at lunchtime.

Nathan Smith from Tesco Express at Cann Hall Road in Bridgnorth said they had run out of diesel yesterday but had a delivery last night so were fine now.

He said: "It seemed there was a bit of a panic on yesterday with motorists finding a few places empty or lacking in diesel and we were very busy today but I would say the volume in the day time today is as normal and everything seems to have calmed down."

The people were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including aggravated trespassing and have since been released with strict bail conditions.

In the West Midlands, 13 people were arrested following a protest at a site in Tyburn, Birmingham on April 3.

Most recently, a group of approximately 20 people sat down in the road with banners at the gate to the Kingsbury Oil terminal in Warwickshire, causing tankers to be turned away.

So far five people have been arrested, while those remaining are either glued or locked on.

A roadblock has also been established on a key tanker route to and from the Kingsbury Oil terminal near Junction 9 on the M42 causing significant tailbacks, where two people have climbed on top of a tanker to prevent it from moving.

Miranda Whelehan, 21 a student from Brighton accused the government of lying over being unable to stop oil production.

"We are told there is not enough money for renewables, whilst they drip more than one million pounds an hour into the overflowing pockets of UK oil companies," she said, before saying a peaceful future without war, climate breakdown and poverty is not possible with oil.