Sixty tankers feed beleaguered UK petrol stations

Sixty tankers feed beleaguered UK petrol stations
REUTERS

LONDON, SEPT 13: Sixty road tankers headed out to refuel Britain's empty petrol stations overnight in the first signs of a breakthrough in the country's worst fuel crisis for 25 years, the government said on Wednesday.

``Sixty tankers have gone out to various petrol stations,'' a government spokeswoman said. ``Our objective is not just to supply the emergency services but to get fuel supplies out around the country.'' But Prime Minister Tony Blair's pledge to have the country back to normal by Wednesday was looking thin, the government admitted.

``It's not moving as fast as we had hoped it would,'' said Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. Many of the tanker drivers had police officers in their cabs as they drove past blockades set up by truckers and farmers in protest at Britain's high fuel prices.