Petrol Panic As Strike Threatens

With the threat of a strike by fuel tank drivers lingering like storm clouds, the government  has released recommendations -- some which have come under heavy criticism -- for car owners should it go ahead.

Recent advice is to make sure the car's tank is topped up regularly, and don't let it fall below half (as opposed to the common fill up if it falls below a third full).

Previous advice of keeping some extra in a jerrycan in the garage has been retracted after coming under fire from the Fire Brigades Union and the AA, who say the action could be potentially dangerous. The advice came from Cabinet Minister Francis Maude, who is said to have misunderstood the size of a jerrycan -- which can hold twenty litres, more than the official amount that can be safely stored in households.

The government is keen to stress that people should be taking precautions so as not to be caught out by the strike, but that there is no need to panic just yet. There is no need to queue for fuel, says the Prime Minister. Any strike action will have to give seven days notice, allowing time for people to prepare themselves.

The government has been accused by the Opposition of adding to the panic rather than trying to come to a negotiated agreement with those threatening to strike. In a bid tosort out the jerrycan miscommunication, they have only added to the public's fears about the strike, it has been said, suffering self-inflicted damage.