Protesters are sick of paying UK petrol tax

THOUSANDS of motorists in South Buckinghamshire faced gridlocked streets as panic buying sent people dashing to the pumps to top up near empty fuel tanks in the wake of the petrol crisis.

Traffic chaos gripped the area as soon as drivers got wind of the double price hike in the price of petrol after the Government decided to increase the price of petrol by 2p one week and an extra 2p the next. Protesters set up blockades outside refineries to stop petrol tankers leaving depots to deliver fuel across Britain,

The Labour Government takes 63.5p in duty and VAT out of the 84.9p we pay for a litre - nearly 75 per cent of the of the total price.

Spaniards, however, only pay 53p a litre, and the Government takes less than half the UK amount in duty and tax, at only 30.2p.

Every other European country has a cheaper fuel bill than Britain and UK motorists pay a total of £30 billion in petrol tax and VAT into the Government coffers every year.

Protesters who have blockaded petrol refineries had finally had enough.

Although Prime Minister Tony Blair is standing firm and refusing to back down, he promised the British public that the situation would be easing by Wednesday.

As Wednesday came and went at least 90 per cent of petrol stations were still closed in and around Buckinghamshire.

Ken Hulme, prospective parliamentary Labour candidate for Chesham and Amersham, called on protesters to call off the blockades. He said: 'They've made their point and they should stop while they are ahead and still enjoy public support.'

Gareth Jones, the deputy executive of Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry disagreed. He said: 'For many companies, the price of fuel here leaves them at a competitive disadvantage against our trading partners. The Chamber is calling on the Chancellor to reduce fuel tax now.'

Yesterday there was optimism that, as protestors lifted pressure on depot gates, adequate fuel will be on most forecourts within a few days.