Drivers urged against fuel panic

Gordon Brown has urged motorists not to panic-buy petrol and diesel ahead of a planned strike by tanker drivers delivering fuel for Shell on Friday.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said contingency plans were in place to minimise disruption.

Even so, the government said that some petrol stations could run out of fuel.

Hundreds of members of the Unite Union are due to walk out on Friday morning in a dispute over pay. E SF

The drivers work for Hoyer UK and Suckling Transport, haulage firms employed by Shell to deliver fuel to its forecourts across the UK.

The prime minister's spokesperson said: "We believe that this strike is unnecessary and we would want to ensure that nothing was done that inconvenienced the public.

E IBOX "But the most responsible thing the public can do is to continue to buy as normal."