THE fuel blockades have been lifted but drivers have been warned they face a wait before petrol supplies are back to normal.

Protesters, who comprised truckers, fishermen and farmers incensed by the high taxation placed on Britain's fuel, withdrew from the Cattedown plant at Plymouth, and Avonmouth in Bristol, around 8am yesterday.

Petrol tankers were being driven into South East Cornwall from yesterday afternoon to start re-supplying empty pumps at 38 selected petrol stations, but this fuel was mainly for emergency services which includes utilities such as gas and electricity, the RNLI, social services, domiciliary care, public transport, schools, vets and the Health Service.

Rationed

The priority list for the first stations to be replenished included the Esso and Jet stations at Carkeel, Saltash, the New Central Garage at Horningtops, and Looe Texaco.The manager of the Jet station, Mike Briggs, rationed petrol to £10 per customer, and said 98 per cent of people were happy about that.

The police were manning some services in the West Country as it was reported that there were some disputes between owners of garages which had been given fuel especially for emergency purposes - and ordinary motorists desperate for petrol or diesel.

As the tankers rolled out of depots it was also announced by Esso that, due to the price of crude oil per barrel, they would be putting up prices by about 2p a litre for unleaded petrol and 4p a litre for diesel.

Police were still also urging people not to drive, unless their journey was essential, and were appealing to members of the public to stop jamming their lines asking for information about garages which have supplies. They stressed that they are unable to help, and garages should be contacted directly.

Officers were also urging the public to be aware of fuel thieves. On Monday night petrol was taken after the fuel line to a car parked in Park Road, Lostwithiel, was cut. More fuel was stolen that evening from a dinghy at Kilhallon, Par, while in Bodmin two youths were disturbed while trying to siphon petrol from a car on a garage forecourt.

Uncertainty

Other petrol stations open on Thursday morning included Shell Caradon at Trerulefoot. The Shell company said nationally l,l00 of its stations were dry, and although deliveries had re-commenced only 200 were due to take place yesterday compared with the usual 650 per day. BP said on Thursday that 1200 of its 1500 garages had the 'no fuel' signs out.

There was uncertainty over how long it would take for all petrol stations in the region to be re-filled. Mr Briggs believed supplies would probably be back to normal by the middle of next week.

He was backed in this view by Chris Mason, who runs Mason's garage at Rilla Mill with his father, Dave. He could not be sure about when the normal supplies would resume, but felt that it would be any time between next Monday and Wednesday.

Mr Mason said that their garage was dry by Monday evening, after they sold fuel which would have lasted ten days in the space of one day. Petrol was limited to £5 for non-regulars, with the regulars who support the garage throughout the year, and account holders, able to buy more. He said that during Monday no work could be done in the workshop, as everyone was busy dealing with the queue which stretched both ways along the narrow road between Upton Cross and Bray Shop.

He said: 'We tried to help everyone out, but it was pretty chaotic, with people shouting and horns beeping.'

Frenzy

Pengelly Motors of Callington were expecting some fuel to arrive yesterday.

They had also been drained of supplies by Monday, with the situation on that day being described as: 'Mad'.

Taylor's Motors in Liskeard rationed supplies so fuel was available for a certain period per day, while queues built up in Dobwalls as motorists waited patiently for petrol in the village garage.

Petrol was not the only commodity drying up in South East Cornwall from Tuesday, for a frenzy of bulk buying of milk and bread, as well as other staple items, began. By the end of the day the bread shelves in Liskeard supermarkets had been decimated. Somerfield's manager, Peter Anthony said the store was so packed on Tuesday it could have been Christmas. The panic continued on Wednesday, and it took customers just two hours to clear the shelves of bread and milk follow