A national shortage of Heavy Goods Vehicle [HGV] drivers has forced a number of petrol stations to close due to lack of fuel. The EG Group, which owns 400 stations across the UK, is limited customers to a maximum spend of ￡30 to counter hoarding.

       Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has urged drivers to “carry on as normal” and avoid panic buying.

       However long queues outside some stations were reports on Friday night, and again during Saturday morning.

       Photos posted on social media show some drivers filling up multiple jerry cans, and other containers, with fuel.

       In one case a motorist has four large plastic containers containing fuel, nearly filling up his car boot.

       Ministers are considering granting another 5,000 visas so foreign lorry drivers can work in the UK.

       However, the country is reported to have a shortage of 90,000 drivers in total.

       According to the Daily Mail ministers have discussed using the army to driver tankers to petrol station forecourts, but would only do this is other options fail.

       Conservative MP Marcus Fysh argued bringing in troops would “not be an unreasonable way to think about dealing with an issue”.

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       He added: “If there is a problem that needs to be fixed in the near term then that might be a way of fixing it.”

       Furious motorists blasted those panic buying on social media, accusing them of intensifying the crisis.

       Riggers, who has a photograph of an ambulance as his profile picture, tweeted: “Just so the public are aware our vehicles fill up at the same stations as everyone else.

       “Please stop panic buying as already some forecourts we use are closed We really need you to help us to help you.

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       “There’s plenty of fuel and it’s getting through if a little slower.”

       Mike Saffery added: “I worked in a petrol station during the tanker drivers protest when there was literally no fuel getting through.

       “What's happening now is nothing compared to that so please, stop #panicbuying there really is no need. Fuel will get to the forecourts.”

       Cricketologist tweeted: “Absolute chaos at petrol stations over the last two days. Panic buying. Long queues. Prices hiked.

       “I’ve got just about enough diesel to take me to and from work for two days! What happens after?”

       Edmund King, the head of AA, told the BBC there is “plenty of fuel at the source” and urged people not to panic buy.

       Speaking to BBC Breakfast he said: “The market is stretched, so I think that is a broader issue that is affecting the supply chain, not just the petrol and diesel but retail as well.

       “The good news is you can only really fill up once; you've got to use the fuel, so this should be a short-term thing.

       “It's not like the fuel crises in the past when the supplier was hit by strikes, etc.

       “So, once people have filled up, they won't travel more than they normally travel, so this strain on the system should ease up in the next few days.”