Fuel campaigners end protests

Protests in September triggered fuel shortages

The thirty fuel protesters at two oil refineries at Pembroke in west Wales have ended their protest.

Haulier Mike Green, from Cross Hands, said: "We have proved our point. It's time for the government to get its thinking cap on, or we'll be back before the General Election and will bring this country to a standstill."

David Handley says protests are officially back on

Twenty protesters spent the night outside the Texaco refinery in Pembroke Dock and a further 10 picketed the nearby Elf plant.

Mr Green said they planned to hold meetings in the coming months and further protests were likely unless the government promised further action to reduce the tax on fuel.

Monmouthshire farmer David Handley, of Farmers For Action, said protesters wanted to get fuel prices reduced in line with the drop in the world price of fuel.

North Wales farmer Brynle Williams, who spearheaded the original action in September, urged campaigners to wait until March or April, nearer the general election, before taking further action.

Protesters gathered outside depots in England on Friday, but said that they were not planning to disrupt fuel supplies.

Farmers for Action

Mr Williams added that he was still waiting for a promised meeting with ministers to discuss the issue of fuel taxation.

"I will not rule out any direct action if the government doesn't respond to the tax element soon."

Farmers, hauliers and coach operators gathered at demonstrations in Cumbria, Tyneside and Hampshire on Friday.

Demonstrators, including the Farmers for Action group, blockaded the BP depot at Dalston in Cumbria, and took up positions at the Shell Depot in Ulverston, the Texaco site in Workington, and the Askham Oils base in Carlisle.

A protest of 30 demonstrators at a refinery at Trafford Park in Manchester ended at 1020GMT on Friday.

Brynle Williams: Time not right for action

Protesters have accused fuel retailers of "ripping off" consumers after a 1p cut in the price of petrol, announced on Wednesday by many leading retailers following a rapid fall in crude oil prices.

The reduction has put pressure on other oil giants, including BP, Esso, Texaco and TotalFinaElf, who are holding back from announcing cuts, while insisting prices would remain "competitive".

Shell UK head of retail Ian Sutcliffe argued that the petrol companies had limited room for manoeuvre in relation to prices.

"And at the end of the day we are still in a situation that nearly 80% of the pump price is tax and duty, so our latitude to move is not maybe as great as some people would think," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Chancellor Gordon Brown has warned the companies that he is keeping a close watch on the prices they are charging at the petrol pumps.

'Gestures'

But the Treasury said stressed that he would not be rushed into short-term decisions on a windfall tax on their profits.

Fuel protest group Dump the Pump said the 1p drop was "a token gesture" and the RAC said oil companies had been slow to cut the prices.

The director of the Petrol Retailers' Association, Ray Holloway, admitted prices could have been brought down more quickly but predicted the latest cuts would be the start of a bigger fall in prices.

"Others will follow, and I think to a greater degree than the 1p cut."

Petrol pump prices now stand at an average of 79.5p a litre, approximately 4p a litre higher than wholesale prices.