The Government has sought to calm fears of new petrol shortages some 10 days ahead of expected protest action.

And senior police officers have warned that stockpiling fuel in canisters and bottles could endanger lives - particularly over bonfire night weekend.

Sussex has been gripped by a spate of renewed panic buying despite assurances from the authorities and protesters themselves that oil refineries will not be blockaded.

But with more storms forecast and continued disruption to the rail network, motorists across the country have refused to listen to the advice as they stock up on supplies.

Some areas in the South are reporting an increase in sales of 80 per cent which has forced some petrol stations to close as pumps once again run dry.

The emergency services have warned motorists there is a legal limit to how much fuel could be stored - up to 15 litres at home and 10 litres in a car.

The director of the Petrol Retailers' Association, Ray Holloway, assured motorists that petrol stocks remained plentiful and they had no reason to fear running short.

He blames the Government's for causing the latest wave of panic buying saying its "macho" comments about the expected protests "are talking up anxiety."

He said: "I would have to interpret some of the comments to be quite deliberate in raising anxiety levels in the public mind."

Protest leader David Handley, chairman of the People's Fuel Lobby, insisted that his organisation had made no threats to repeat the oil refinery pickets which led to pumps running dry in September.

He said: "The only people hyping this up are this Government. The protesters have gone on record telling everybody we are not going back to the refineries.

"What we want to do is negotiate with this Government, talk to this Government on behalf of the people that this People's Fuel Lobby represents."