EVERYONE gathered for the town hall meeting had been repeatedly instructed to show civility to the gentlemen from BP and the federal government.

EMERGENCY crews rushed to protect fragile shorelines and islands as the Gulf of Mexico oil slick expanded, prompting a mobilisation of more national guard troops and alerts as far as the Florida Keys.

US President Barack Obama yesterday warned of “massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster” as a giant oil slick from the Gulf of Mexico threatens environmental and economic catastrophe.

An oil spill that is threatening to eclipse the Exxon Valdez disaster spread out of control and started washing ashore along America's Gulf Coast early today.

BP crews raced to protect the Gulf of Mexico coastline as a remote sub tried to shut off an underwater oil well gushing 42,000 gallons a day from the site of a wrecked drilling platform.