One in five forecourts 'supplied by weekend'

Three hundred petrol stations will be supplied with fuel by the end of the day and at least 20 per cent of the national network will be restored within 48 hours, oil companies said today.

Three hundred petrol stations will be supplied with fuel by the end of the day and at least 20 per cent of the national network will be restored within 48 hours, oil companies said today.

Speaking on behalf of the industry as he left an emergency meeting with the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street, Shell chairman Malcolm Brinded said the supply situation was easing.

And he added that oil bosses had promised a considerable improvement.

He said: "The situation as far as logistics is concerned has got much better.

"We were able to tell the Prime Minister that 300 designated sites for essential supplies should by the end of the day be supplied.

"Over the next 48 hours at least 20 per cent of the network will be supplied.

"We are focussing immediately on 300 sites for essential supplies and over the next two days we should see many more."

Mr Brinded added: "I cannot comment on the rest of the industry but we've held our prices constant since before the dispute started."