Petrol panic buying turns up heat on Cameron

Police yesterday closed some petrol stations to stop panic buying as the British government faced criticism for warning motorists to stock up ahead of a threatened strike by tanker drivers.

Petrol sales shot up by 81% and diesel by 43%, according to the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents about 5,500 garages across Britain.

Retailers said there was a surge in sales of jerry cans after a minister advised people to fill them with fuel, in comments he was later forced to retract.