Fights at petrol pumps, police having to monitor sites as rumours the army may be needed have dominated the news this past few days.

Steve Coombe, Membership Manager at the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) spoke to ELN about the escalating fuel crisis: “There are still issues, particularly in metropolitan areas of England, and also parts of the metropolitan areas in Wales.

“Trouble is that it is a moving feast because a site that was dry at eight o’clock this morning can now be refueled. We still think that probably at least 50% of independent forecourts are still dry in the UK.”

Asked if he agrees with the PRA Chairman who claimed that the current crisis is entirely the fault of the person who leaked details of a Cabinet meeting to the press, Mr Coombe replied: “Well, yes the Chairman says and I agree but I also think that the press have made it a lot worse by sensational headlines in all the newspapers on Friday morning. Once you put a headline saying running on empty or fuel station dry, of course, it’s going to instigate panic buying.”

Mr Coombe said he is hopeful that the crisis will be over by the end of this week and he advises drivers not to panic buy: “It’s a necessity, but we have had issues, we have had phone calls from retailers who tell me that people coming in and just putting in one pound to keep the tank topped up to the brim.”

Listen to the podcast to hear the entire interview.