Diesel shortage: Drivers continue to search for fuel as shortage causes misery

It comes as supporters of Just Stop Oil have disrupted oil supplies from facilities for the fifth day in a row as they demand that the UK government ends new oil and gas projects in the UK.

Drivers have reported widespread shortages and chaos at the pumps, with many stations putting out signs to inform drivers they are out of diesel.

In Wolverhampton last night, one driver reported there was no fuel at Sainsbury's and Tesco stations in the city as well as Texaco on Dudley Road being completely out.

A worried father in Walsall told the Express & Star he had to abandon his search for diesel on Monday to ensure he had enough fuel to pick up his disabled daughter from school.

He eventually managed to get fuel the following day at JET petrol station on Wednesbury Road.

"I managed to get some as my friend told me where to go, I made it just in time, it was chaos there, too many people scrambling to get fuel," he said.

"It is still bad out there and people are complaining about it. All the ones I couldn’t get any from yesterday still don’t have any today.

"Why can't any of the big supermarkets sort it out? They should be big enough to be able to fix the issue

"I was very lucky I got hold of some, I had to fill up as I can't be without a car with my children.

"They don’t understand how it is affecting everybody, especially working-class people."

The shortages are also affecting business who rely on fuel,

Abid Hussain, director of Wednesbury-based Excelsior Cars Ltd which specialises in airport transfers and long journeys, said his business was being badly affected by the struggle to find fuel.

"We have pre-bookings we need to fulfil, but it is really hard for us to get fuel currently," he said.

"We had an issue yesterday morning and we had to drive around for fuel.

"I was in Wolverhampton. I went to three different stations, and eventually got some at Shell in West Bromwich. I was lucky one pump was available.

"I have told the drivers to keep their cars fully tanked every day if they have to.

"We are getting through but it is a struggle, we have had to send different drivers to jobs because some don’t have enough fuel.

"I have told the drivers if they see a station with fuel, just fill up."

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

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

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.