The week-long fuel blockades were coming to an end today as protesters gave the Government a 60-day ultimatum to reduce the tax on petrol.

They promised "more action" if their demands were not met.

Protesters at the Texaco depot at Shoreham Harbour this morning decided to end their demonstration.

But disruption could last another three weeks as deliveries trickle through to Sussex garages, which are expecting a huge demand from desperate motorists.

The first protest to end was at Stanlow, Cheshire, in the early hours of today, followed by depots at Grangemouth, in Scotland, and Avonmouth, near Bristol.

A spokesman for the Stanlow drivers said: "We now hope that the Government will do something about this very, very unfair tax.

"We have handed in a list of recommendations and want the Government to respond within 60 days."

"We have never endangered the health service and we have always let tankers for emergency services through and have co-operated with the companies in that respect."

The four demonstrators at Shoreham met at 9am today, when they decided to end their protest.

They gave depot staff beer as a thank-you.

Their spokesman Andy, a West Sussex farmer who preferred not to give his surname, said: "No non-emergency supplies left here this morning apart from one tanker for Worthing police and one for a Sussex chicken farm.

"The public has shown it is behind our campaign."

Some tankers managed to get through to the Texaco depot for supplies during the night.

Les Salvidge, who supplies his sons' garages in Sussex, managed to get four convoys through yesterday, their normal daily number, and they hoped to increase shipments to five today.

He and his staff worked through the night to get fuel to family-run petrol stations in Old Town and Trinity Place, Eastbourne, East Dean service station, one at Selmeston on the A27 near Polegate, Little London Road, Heathfield and Bolney Cross Garage - although as soon as supplies arrived, they were quickly running out.

Last night the Government turned to the military after Prime Minister Tony Blair said the country faced a national crisis with "lives at risk" as the emergency worsened.

The NHS was put on red alert as the Prime Minister warned: "Real damage is now being done to real people."

Today Health Secretary Alan Milburn hinted that the Government would address the issue of high fuel prices within months.

He said: "We have a process for making these sort of decisions. The Chancellor will publish a pre-Budget report in November.

"He will take representations, he will no doubt listen to representations and then there will be a Budget in the spring.

"That's the right way to make economic policy.

"What no Government can do is cave in to blockades, pickets or intimidation. We will not do that."

In Sussex, health managers are rationing petrol so remaining fuel supplies allow doctors and nurses to make vital night calls.

A West Sussex Health Authority spokesman said: "We are waiting to be told which members of staff will be able to fill up first as well as a list of key garages which will soon be getting deliveries."

District nurses in East Sussex have been getting to the sick by foot and on buses, while patients living in rural areas receive priority.

Fewer outpatients in Brighton, Hove and Lewes have made appointments and Sussex Ambulance Service is concentrating on emergencies until more fuel is guaranteed.

Chief executive Andrew Horne said: "We are trying to run as normal a service as possible. If people can get to their appointment and home again the clinic will operate."

Extra storage space is being found in case dirty linen has to be kept on site at Brighton General Hospital for longer than normal.

The fuel crisis is also expected to cost Sussex business tens of millions of pounds as shops and companies are forced to close and customers stay at home.

One Gatwick firms is already down by more than £100,000.

Brighton and Hove Buses says a Sunday service will run all next week if no diesel is delivered by the weekend.

All journeys will be cancelled on Sunday if the contingency plan comes into place.

Brighton town centre manager Tony Mernagh said: "It's going to get worse for business before it gets better.

"I would be surprised if any shops open on Sunday. Some places are having problems getting staff in and a lot of people won't have a way to get into the town centre.

"It could cost retailers in Brighton and Hove millions of pounds if this goes on. It's hard to put a positive spin on the situation."

Derek Maddison, manager of Churchill Square shopping centre in Brighton, said: "It's not a situation we've been in before, so it's hard to say what's going to happen.

"About 45 per cent of our customers use motorised transport to get here."

Sussex Enterprise said businesses across the county, especially in rural areas, have been badly hit by the fuel shortages.

Guy Davenport-Strange, head of policy, said: "Businesses are being quite badly affected. The number of small rural companies that are running out of fuel is a very big concern.

"A lot of small companies are operating on the edge. Business is very competitive now.

"If this is going to continue, its going to impact right across the county. There will be job losses."

He said many business are losing up to 50 per cent of their revenue.

Meanwhile, scuffles broke out yesterday in the forecourt of the Texaco garage in Telscombe Cliffs as drivers tried to fill up with fuel earmarked for the emergency services.

At 4pm police were called in after a tanker from the fuel depot in Shoreham arrived. Inspector Mark Powles said drivers from as far away as London had turned up to buy petrol.

He said: "We believe the delivery may have been advertised on the internet.

"Some people and radio stations are telling people where deliveries are expected, to try be helpful, but instead it is causing chaos.

"The situation was becoming quite heated on the forecourt and we had to make sure emergency service vehicles could get fuel."

Bread and milk had to be rationed at supermarkets as panic buying spread from the forecourt to the food shelves.

Asda at Hollingbury last night was rationing each customer to one loaf of bread and five pints of milk.

Brighton Marina branch manager Simon Roberts said: "It's a lot busier than normal. Deliveries are going as normal at the moment but we are looking out."

The Co-op supermarket in London Road, Brighton, sold out of bread by yesterday afternoon.

Manager Andy Marten said: "It's been very busy."