[11
SEP 00] FUEL PROTESTS
Fuel Blockades Spread to Warwickshire
By ARRYN BUGGINS
Two
Warwickshire sites have been targetted by farmers and lorry
drivers as the country is gripped by unrest over fuel prices.
The UK’s
largest inland petrol refinery at Kingsbury in the far north of
the county is the target for fuel protesters, although police
report the area to be quiet.
And ten farmers
have blocked the main road in to the cheese maturation plant at
Dairy Crest in Nuneaton. The farmers have blockaded the dairy,
calling for an immediate rise of 3p per pint for milk.
Appearing to
rise off the back of current unrest over prices, the
agricultural workers are stopping lorries going in and out of
Dairy Crest on the Bermuda Business Park on the edge of the
town.
Warwickshire
police said:
“We know
there are about 10 farmers on site at Nuneaton and we are
hoping to open negotiations with them.
“We have
officers at the scene and a superintendent is to try and talk
to the farmers.”
While there are
reports that petrol stations in Warwickshire are drying up, the
police service said there is ‘no immediate concern’ for its
own fleet of vehicles.
Petrol
companies have said it is the panic buying which is causing the
stations to run out as they cannot be restocked quickly enough,
not because of a general lack of fuel.
Acorss the
country, about 200 were dry this morning and the figure is
growing.
Farmers who
have been protesting around the county with banners of the theme
of: ‘Another Nail In the Countryside Coffin’ have joined HGV
drivers and taxi drivers to protest that high fuel prices are
killing their industry.
After a week of
protests and blockades, the industrial action in France seems to
be over. Motorways and ports were blocked by workers unhappy
with fuel prices, which are about between 10 and 20p per litre
lower than the UK.
Most UK
supermarkets that cut the cost of unleaded to 77.9p per litre in
a price war last month are now selling around 79.9p. None has
yet dared rise its prices to cash in on shortages.
[11 SEP 00]
FUEL COSTS ARE DAMAGING BUSINESSES
- CHAMBER
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