The move comes as the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents the majority of petrol stations in Britain, estimated that up to 90 percent of forecourts had run out of fuel. A shortage of HGV drivers resulted in fewer deliveries of petrol to forecourts which sparked widespread panic buying as queues stretched into the hundreds. Some stations reported a 500 percent increase in demand.

       Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng was forced to suspended competition laws last night to allow fuel suppliers to work together to ensure petrol stations running empty were restocked.

       The emergency measures were introduced after Boris Johnson announced immigration laws would be relaxed in an attempt to combat the problem.

       Up to 5,000 foreign lorry drivers are to be allowed into the country in an attempt to ease the delays in supplying filling stations.

       However, there are concerns that a Europe-wide shortage of HGV drivers could mean very few will come.

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