UK motorists urged to stop panic-buying fuel as shortage appears to ease

Transport secretary and petrol association say forecourts show early signs crisis may be ending

Motorists have faced renewed calls to stop panic buying fuel, as the UK government and an industry association insisted the shortage at thousands of petrol stations was diminishing, but Labour has called for key workers to get priority at the pumps.

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said there were very tentative signs of stabilisation" in forecourt storage, but admitted it would take time for that to affect the size of vehicle queues as people's behaviour slowly adjusted.