PANIC-buyers caused queues across the town’s petrol stations last night following a threat of strike action by fuel tanker drivers.

Despite Huddersfield retailers warning that supplies of petrol and diesel were arriving on the forecourt as normal – queues built up across the town.

Some stations used signs to notify drivers they had run out of fuel.

Asda in Brackenhall ran out of Diesel at 6pm. At around 6.45pm a cashier at the station said: “It has been absolute chaos here today.

“We have probably had somewhere around 5,000 cars through so far.

“It has been non-stop because of the proposed strike by tanker drivers regarding health and safety conditions.”

Similarly Mohammed Aslam from the Total garage on Leeds Road said: “There have been a lot more cars than normal.

“I haven’t had a minute to breathe since I started my shift at 6pm.

“Even compared to yesterday, it has been a lot busier.”

Jane Barrett, manager of CJ Stern’s Scar Lane filling station at Milnsbridge warned that the mad rush for fuel caused a greater problem and driver’s shouldn’t panic.

She said: “If everyone starts panic-buying and putting more petrol into their cars than they would normally, that will create a problem.”

She stressed that Unite, the union involved, would have to give seven days’ notice of strike action, but said some people were clearly ignoring the “don’t panic” advice.

The Government faced increasing criticism last night over its handling of the fuel drivers dispute amid signs of panic buying by motorists and a controversial call to fill up jerry cans with petrol.

Petrol station operators said the Government appeared “intent on creating a crisis” which could see forecourts run dry within days, as some garages start rationing fuel.