FUEL protestors promised last night there would be no repeat of the fuel refinery blockades which crippled Britain in September.

The pledge came as Home Secretary Jack Straw outlined plans to MPs for protecting petrol and food supplies and safeguarding tanker drivers.

Petrol retailers also played down fears of renewed panic buying, blaming the weather and train delays for isolated reports of filling stations selling out. One Fina garage, in Oxbridge Lane, Stockton, was emptied of 20,000 gallons of fuel in less than 48 hours.

In the wake of a statement to the Commons by Mr Straw on the great fuel debate, David Handley, chairman of the People's Fuel Lobby, appealed to motorists: "Don't either panic-buy fuel or stockpile fuel. We will not be going to the refineries. We have been there we have done that.

"The people of this country want to start using sense about this, otherwise there is going to be a serious accident and I am the last one that wants that to happen."

The Home Secretary confirmed soldiers had been trained to drive tankers, but stressed they would be used "as a last resort".

Mr Straw also published a log of 180 incidents of intimidation of drivers that oil companies said had occurred in September's protests.

"The disruption that took place in September very nearly caused serious damage to our economy," said Mr Straw.

"Because of our responsibilities as a Government to the country as a whole that we now must make preparations to minimise the risk of this happening again."

Home Office sources said a central police control centre would be set up in New Scotland Yard, if needed, to make sure oil supplies could get through, and promised robust policing.

An order also giving the Government emergency powers to designate priority petrol stations to ensure workers get fuel is to be debated on November 13, the day the protestors' 60 day deadline for action runs out.

Tory leader William Hague, meanwhile, accused the government of deliberately creating a "climate of anxiety". But the opposition promised support for measures designed to keep fuel and food on the move.

Chancellor Gordon Brown is expected to offer some assistance to motorists in his autumn statement on Wednesday.

They are bound to be angered further after Shell posted record profits on the back of a soaring world oil price. It announced an 80 per cent jump in earnings for the last three months, to £2.24 billion.

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