Military tankers to deliver petrol from Monday as supply crisis rages on

Almost 200 military personnel – including 100 drivers – have been undertaking training at haulier sites (Picture: Geoff Robinson)

The army will be deployed to deliver fuel to petrol stations across the country from Monday amid continuing supply issues.

Almost 200 military personnel have been undertaking training at haulier sites to help relieve the situation after more than a week of chaos.

Petrol pumps across the country have run dry amid a shortage of specialist drivers to deliver fuel.

There have been lengthy queues at forecourts with fights even breaking out as the nation once again became gripped by panic buying.

In a significant U-turn, a temporary visa scheme for foreign HGV drivers that was due to expire on December 24 will now be extended to the end of February.

The government initially inisisted training British workers was enough to address the HGV driver shortage that has left petrol pumps across the country running dry.

It was ridiculed when it announced a plan to offer a three month visa to foreign workers, who said they would not return to ‘piss in a bottle on the M25’ before ‘buggering off home for Christmas’.

The Government announced on Froday that 300 fuel drivers will be able to come to the UK from overseas ‘immediately’ under a bespoke temporary visa which will now be validuntil March.

Meanwhile, 4,700 other visas intended for foreign food haulage drivers will be extended beyond the initially announced three months and will last from late October to the end of February.

The Government said that demand for fuel has stabilised and there is now more being delivered than sold, but that some parts of the country still face challenges.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said: ‘The Government has taken decisive action to tackle the short-term disruption to our supply chains, and in particular the flow of fuel to forecourts.

‘We are now seeing the impact of these interventions with more fuel being delivered to forecourts than sold and, if people continue to revert to their normal buying patterns, we will see smaller queues and prevent petrol stations closing.’

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