Petrol shortages: No10 says ‘hard to put specific date’ on return to normal as army delivers fuel

Follow events as they happened

Military tankers begin delivering fuel in bid to ease crisis

No 10 said it is “hard to put a specific date” on when fuel supplies would return to normal - but insisted the situation was improving.

“We’ve seen demand return back towards normal levels,” the prime minister’s official spokesperson said on Monday.

It came as army tanker drivers started delivering fuel to petrol stations in a bid to ease shortages as Operation Escalin got underway.

The troops were set to be concentrated in London and the Southeast, where the worst fuel shortages remained.

Petrol stations have run dry and long queues have formed at forecourts as the UK grappled with the fuel crisis caused by a shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers and panic buying.

Key Points

• Military personnel hit the roads to tackle fuel crisis
• Rishi Sunak says situation is ‘improving'
• ‘Hard to put specific date’ on when supplies will return to normal - No 10

[4 October 2021 15:40 · Zoe Tidman]

Operation Escalin gets underway

Today marked the start of Operation Escalin, where the armed forces started delivering fuel to petrol stations.

Here are some images of military personnel driving tankers:

A man wearing military uniform drives a fuel tanker into the BP Plc fuel terminal on October 04, 2021 in Hemel Hempstead (Getty Images)

(PA)

[4 October 2021 16:03 · Zoe Tidman]

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