Fuel crisis brings chaos to Craven

There cannot be anyone who has not been affected by the protests to cut the fuel tax with refinery blockades almost bringing the country to a standstill.

On Wednesday Prime Minister Tony Blair appealed to the pickets to lift their blockades before they caused "real damage" and some of the tankers began to move out to replenish the petrol stricken garages.

Skipton's police inspector Peter Lambert warned motorists not to be greedy as petrol deliveries began to filter through to Craven's garages. Several received fuel yesterday (Thursday), and the police have been informed of at least two deliveries over the next few days.

Officers were drafted in to control the queues of traffic outside the Esso station on Keighley Road, Skipton, after its pumps were back in operation yesterday. However, supplies were expected to dry up by teatime last night.

Insp Lambert said motorists should question their need for a full tank of petrol if their cars were going to be sitting in the garage. He said: "You should ask 'is my car a necessary vehicle?' and bear in mind that a doctor might be waiting 10 cars behind you who needs his vehicle."

Insp Lambert praised motorists for their patience and added it might be another few days before the situation returned to normal.

The crisis began to be felt on Monday as workers returned to work and battled to fill up their petrol tanks.

At Skipton supermarkets Tesco and Morrisons, unleaded petrol was sold out by noon on Monday and managers had no idea when their pumps would be refilled.

Morrisons manager Kelvin Pawlikow had to draft in staff to direct traffic as queues stretched back to the roundabout on Broughton Road.

He told the Herald on Monday: "We have been here 10 years and we have never run out of petrol before. It has been busy since we opened at 7.30am. People are panicking and I don't think they need to."

And at Tesco manager Carol Rogers said: "Our trade is nothing like this - not even on budget day. It is worrying because what's going to happen when everyone runs out?"

But despite the long queues, motorists who spoke to the Herald unanimously supported the blockade of the fuel depots by farmers and hauliers.

Childminder Elaine Farrier, of Bay Horse Yard, Skipton, said: "It's absolute mayhem. I had to queue for ages. My car was running on empty and I was worried I wouldn't be able to drive it away. It kept stalling.

"I support the action the farmers and hauliers are taking because I think we have the most ridiculous prices for petrol. It is this that pays for the health service but I do think we are hammered enough. I need my car for work. I would use public transport but it is appalling. In rural areas people depend on their car."

Jane Burnside, of Skipton, had to queue at Morrisons for petrol but she also backed the blockade: "I think they probably have a reason to do it. I know it makes it awkward but it's for everyone to do what they think best."

Gavin McGarty, of Carleton, said: "I support the blockade. I think the tax on fuel is ridiculous."

But as the crisis continued the fuel drought took its toll on local garages.

At Threshfield Garage two workers had to be laid off until business got back to normal. Owner Robert Pollitt said he only managed to make unleaded petrol last until Monday and diesel until Tuesday. "That was with rationing it to £10 per customer," he said.

Mr Pollitt said that his business was suffering two-fold as motorists were not bringing in their cars for servicing. "We still have rents and rates to pay and nothing coming in," he added.

It was a similar story at Megson's Garage in Embsay where fuel ran out on Monday.

A spokeswoman for the garage said they were worried about the situation but all they could do was sit and wait. "Everyone is in the same boat. It affects everyone the same," she said.

Peter Watson's Garage, on Otley Road, Skipton, managed to secure a delivery of 7,000 litres of fuel on Tuesday. He limited the sales to £10 per customer and prices were pushed up to almost 90p a litre for unleaded.

The Fina garage on Keighley Road, Skipton, had one of its busiest times ever.

Petrol lasted until 12.30pm on Wednesday, and customer services assistant Darren Ellis said extra staff had had to be brought in. At one point there were two-hour queues of motorists waiting for fuel.

To preserve dwindling fuel, West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service in conjunction with the local NHS Trust and health authority suspended all non-emergency calls.

A spokesman for WYMAS said: "Ambulance crews will continue to attend emergency 999 calls and the ambulance patient transport service will continue to carry out admissions, discharges and transfers to hospitals, and transport to oncology and renal appointments."

And GPs will make urgent house calls only until the problem is resolved.

North Yorkshire's Chief Fire Officer Eric Clark asked fuel price protesters to give some thought to the emergency services. "We are in the business of saving lives and we would not like to see a tragedy occur if our attendance at an incident was impeded by a protest."

Schools have also been affected. Three Clapham pupils had to miss school on Wednesday when their taxi service was withdrawn, and at Ermysted's in Skipton, after-school activities were cancelled.

Ten-year-old Felicity Gains and her friends at Catteral Hall, Giggleswick, experienced their first night of boarding, thanks to the petrol crisis. Headmaster Ross Hunter explained: "With our families flung far over the area, we offered to take in everyone struggling for transport. Boarding rooms are full, so every spare space is being pressed into service - including the library."

Other transport problems included delayed services at Skipton railway station where it was reported that train drivers could not get to the station leaving passengers stranded.

But, Malcolm Weaving, of The Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn, ensured his staff got to work by putting harnesses on his adopted donkeys, and Settle shopkeeper Elizabeth Bland is planning to ride her horse to work to beat the petrol crisis.