PUMPS ran dry and petrol stations closed in Huddersfield today as panic buying worsened.
As prices rose by another penny a litre overnight, drivers queued to fill up.
Some supermarkets closed their pumps because of traffic chaos caused by the queues.
At the Tesco store filling station at Viaduct Street, Huddersfield, supplies of unleaded fuel ran out last night, although a new delivery arrived this morning.
At some supermarkets shoppers wanting food had problems getting into the store because of the traffic chaos at the pumps.
And petrol station boss Chris Stern said the public had gone mad.
He said despite warnings yesterday for the public not to panic, everyone had been selfish and flocked to the pumps.
Mr Stern, who runs petrol stations in Paddock and Milnsbridge, said his own stations would run dry by the end of the day if demand continued.
He said: "Yesterday was unbelievable. We did three days business in one day. We will run out today if it carries on the way it has."
And he warned that there would be "knock-on effects" for days to come with problems over the next three days as tankers took time to catch up on deliveries and supply.
Commenting on threats of blockades by fuel protesters angered by the hike in prices, Mr Stern said contingency plans had been made.
He said Jet tanker drivers would be loading their vehicles tonight at the Immingham refinery and parking up ready for an early start at 5am tomorrow to avoid any disruption.
But he said all the information he had received suggested nothing more than "peaceful protests" by campaigners.
At Tesco in Brighouse, 30 cars were queueing at the petrol station at 6.30am, before it opened at 7am.
Prices have gone up this morning from 90.9p per litre for unleaded to 91.9p and from 94.9p for diesel to 95.9p.
At Asda prices were 93.9p for unleaded and 97.9p for diesel. The pumps closed this morning while new deliveries were awaited.
At Sainsburys there were continuous queues on to the ring road this morning. Prices there were 93.9p for unleaded and 97p for diesel.
Paul Sykes, managing director of Farnley Tyas- based Shaw Petroleum Ltd, said the situation was a "mini catastrophe."
"The public have created a problem that wasn't there.
"When they have seen queues they have filled up their tanks," he said.
Mr Sykes said Gordon Brown would probably avoid further tax on fuel prices to avoid a further backlash.
Meanwhile the Freight Transport says the government must reassure road users, both lorry operators and car drivers, that it will ensure continuity of supply of diesel and petrol, despite threats of blockades and other action by fuel protesters.
