Selfish motorists run pumps dry at Morrisons Southport

Selfish motorists have forced Morrisons in Southport to close their fuel outlet as the pumps have run dry. It is not known when the Supermarket will be getting another delivery.

The Government has said there is no need to panic buy fuel.

The environment secretary told the BBC there was "plenty of petrol" and urged people to buy it in the way they usually do.

He said the situation would "calm down" and the lack of HGV drivers was not a "huge problem" for petrol stations.

There were no plans at the moment to bring in the Army to drive tankers, he said.

The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents nearly 5,500 of the UK's 8,000 filling stations, warned on Sunday that up to two-thirds of outlets were out of fuel, with the rest of them "partly dry and running out soon".

But Mr Eustice said the UK's fuel supply was at normal levels and the fears of disruption which had led to panic buying over recent days were unfounded.

"The only reason we don't have petrol in forecourts is because people are buying petrol when they don't need it," he said.

He said the lack of HGV drivers would have been "entirely manageable" if it were not for the reaction to media coverage about a limited number of forecourt closures.

"Things will calm down. Those who are anxious - many of them will have filled up their cars with petrol now and things will then return to normal."