Out of gas?

There can be little doubt that the comments of Ministers, including our very own Environment Secretary, Ed Davey, have helped to cause panic buying at the pumps.

Passing the Ace of Spades Shell station at just after 9.30 last night I couldn’t help noticing the emptiness of the forecourt and the tags over the pump handles – the obvious consequence of the very brisk trade earlier in the day. Friends report similar situations all over Surbiton, Tolworth and Chessington.

It looks as though the threat of a strike has receded, so I hope that residents will not heed the rather silly advice to keep a jerry can of petrol at home, unless they have a very safe and remote outhouse to keep it in and unless they are accustomed to working with highly inflammable substances.