MARLOW town centre was gridlocked as desperate motorists packed the town centre trying to get petrol.

MARLOW town centre was gridlocked as desperate motorists packed the town centre trying to get petrol.

Traffic tailed half-a-mile down West Street from the Little Marlow Esso service station, and on Wednesday evening police were called to direct traffic so that a tanker could get through to the garage, earmarked as a priority station by the Government.

But the drivers we spoke to, who had spent up to 90 minutes queuing, all supported the protest, calling on the Government to lower prices.

Martin Sharpe, 58, of Marlow Bottom, said: 'It is the Dunkirk spirit, we have to do something. Government should back down.'

Nigel Tubb, 31, of Cookham Dean Bottom, said: 'As a carpenter some of my supplies have had trouble coming through, but I'm prepared to make sacrifices for the greater good.'

The manager at the Esso station, Laurence Andrews, said: 'Customers have remained very good humoured throughout. Personally I support the action of the hauliers.

'We are a priority garage, so the utmost will be done to keep us in fuel; there is no blockade at the West London terminal which supplies us.

'People have been panic buying and that is the problem. One guy actually queued up for £1.50 worth of petrol, saying he wanted to top up his tank, which was annoying.'

Supermarkets and newsagents have been hit, many of them running out of bread, milk and other perishables shortly after deliveries.

A Waitrose spokesman said: 'People have been buying extra stock at our West Street store which has been causing difficulties. There has also been heavy demand for tinned and dried foods. At the moment we are getting supplies but that may change over the next few days.'

Schools are still operating normally but Clive Ricks, headmaster at Great Marlow School warned they may be forced to take action if the situation does not improve by Tuesday.

He said: 'We have had an emergency supply available to staff and coach operators have not told us they can't get here. But if things do not improve there are concerns about staff and seven or eight coachloads of kids getting here.'

Police, doctors' surgeries and Age Concern were all running as normal but are keeping a close watch on the situation.

As we went to press the Esso service station had run dry, but was expecting a second tanker by 8pm.

Platts of Marlow, in West Street, opened on yesterday with no petrol.

See comment: Page 6