Patients hit as fuel crisis bites

Panic buying has led to empty filling stations

Routine surgery has been cancelled at some hospitals in Wales as the ambulance service - hit by the fuel blockade - answers only emergency calls.

In a statement, the All Wales Ambulance Trust said the move was due to "the dramatic shortage of fuel at this present time".

The trust said it was disappointed that services had to be cut "but it is vital that we maintain current levels of emergency assistance".

Hospitals in Abergavenny, Caerphilly, Newport, Merthyr and Bangor have cancelled non-emergency operations as beds remain blocked by patients needing ambulance transport home.

Pumps are running dry

A growing number of filling stations throughout Wales have been reported to be running out of fuel, due to the blockade which was organised to protest at high fuel prices.

>By Monday afternoon, stations in Swansea and Cardiff were reported to be out of unleaded fuel.

There were also long queues reported at other filling stations, with some rationing of supplies and others seeing fuel sales up by 300%.

Tankers have been unable to leave the Texaco depot in Cardiff and protests have continued by hauliers, farmers and taxi drivers at Milford Haven and Pembroke in west Wales.

Truckers blocked Texaco's Pembrokeshire refinery

Delivery companies are also beginning to report problems with their vehicles running out of fuel.

Utility firm Hyder has said that from Tuesday its water and electricity arms will carry out only emergency repairs.

Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy has met with protesters but, while sympathising with their position, he reminded them that taxation was not the source of recent price increases which was the industry itself.

The escalation of protests in Wales coincided with all blockades of oil refineries and depots in France being lifted.

The week-long protest left 80% of France's filling stations empty or low on fuel but ended after protesters won wide-ranging concessions from the French government.

But in the UK, Tony Blair has firmly rejected any prospect of the government responding to the protests.