Drivers hit by fuel problems

  

MOTORISTS in Suffolk were left high and dry today after a fuel shortage hit the county.

Garages across Ipswich and in Woodbridge, Felixstowe and Stowupland reported shortages, following a fire at a large oil refinery at Coryton, Essex, last week.

However, the majority of sellers said they were due to get deliveries today and did not expect the problems to continue.

Although nationally there is not a fuel shortage, it is believed the tankers are not doing as many deliveries as they are travelling to different refineries to get fuel.

A spokesman from the Swiss oil company Petroplus, which owns the refinery, said last week that deliveries would not be affected. No one from the company was available for comment today.

The Shell UK filling station at Woodbridge Road East, Ipswich, ran out of unleaded petrol and diesel yesterday afternoon but was expecting a delivery this afternoon or tomorrow.

The Shell station in Grove Road, Woodbridge, had no fuel this morning, and another two in Ipswich were having on and off problems.

A spokesman said: “As soon as there's a queue on the forecourt people panic as they think the motorists in the queue know something they don't, then they join the queue and the problem gets worse.”

Shell confirmed they were not receiving the normal number of deliveries and that it was because tankers were having to travel to get fuel because of the Essex problems.

The Shell garage at Church Road, Stowupland, said it had run out of diesel but not unleaded.

The Snax 24 garage at Spring Road, Ipswich, said it ran out of all fuel yesterday afternoon but was expecting a delivery at lunchtime.

A spokesman said: “People have been asking what's going on and panic buying as the prices are going up.”

The Roundwood Service Station at Woodbridge Road, Ipswich, was also expecting a delivery around noon today after running completely dry. It said it did not expect any further problems.

The Felixstowe Dock Service Station, Anzani Avenue, ran out of unleaded petrol on Friday and was expecting to run out of diesel today.

Mr Chibha, the manager of the station, said: "We are losing money and it is very frustrating.”

The Beno Haven Service Station and Solar store in Felixstowe, and Ipswich's Morrison's and Asda filling stations, said they were not affected.

The Stowmarket Service Station at Combs Ford said it was also running as usual.

The Lady Lane Garage at Hadleigh said supplier Total had lost 50per cent of its allocation from Coryton but had switched suppliers and was not short of fuel.

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