LONG queues for petrol continue this morning as people rush to fill up thier tank amid fuel shortage fears.

One petrol station in Malvern saw long queues just after 6am.

Last night there were also plenty of people at the garage on Ombersley Road at midnight. 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged people to “carry on as normal” as BP and Tesco announced some stations would close and petrol would be spread across garages due to a shortage of lorry drivers.

In Worcester two BP garages have closed as a result of the shortage.

One station, in Lower Wick, has been closed since Wednesday September 22.

A sign outside the station reads: “Sorry we’re out of fuel. Our teams are working hard to fix this. Thanks for your understanding.”

Cones were placed outside another BP garage, on the A44 Whittington Road, on Friday afternoon, preventing motorists from filling up.

Staff said: “We ran out of fuel this morning. We haven’t got any eta yet (on when the station will be restocked).”

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “There is no shortage of fuel and thousands of forecourts are operating normally with just a few suffering temporary supply chain problems.

“Fridays and the weekend always tend to be busier on forecourts as drivers either combine filling up with shopping runs, prepare for weekend trips or refuel for the start of the new working week.

“Drivers should not fill up outside their normal routines because, even if the occasional petrol station is temporarily closed, others just down the road will be open.

“It is now clear that there have been occasional delays over recent weeks that have been managed with hardly anyone noticing. This was a manageable problem.”