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Tony Blair today abandoned his tour of East Yorkshire and returned to Downing Street for emergency talks on the fuel crisis.

He is holding emergency talks with ministers on ways to resolve the growing crisis which has paralysed large parts of Britain.

The news came after the Government was given the go-ahead to use emergency powers to ensure hospitals, schools and public transport are supplied with fuel.

The Queen and the Privy Council approved the special contingency powers to ensure fuel supplies are available for hospitals, schools and public transport.

Truckers angry at the high cost of petrol are blockading 19 oil refineries and fuel depots across the country, and about a quarter of Britain's petrol stations have run dry.

Meanwhile, the misery for people in the North-East continues:

*Durham County Council chiefs met in emergency session today to discuss the crisis. Top of the agenda was contingency plans to ensure essential services are maintained as far as possible, particularly where the welfare of the public might be at risk. Chief Executive Kingsley Smith warned if the present situation continued for any length of time, the council may have to operate a skeleton staff providing essential services only. Every service department has been ordered to review its use of fuel and not make unnecessary journeys.

* Service stations with no petrol in Stockton and the surrounding area include Marsh House Service Station, Marsh House Avenue, Billingham. Beck Valley Service Station, Wolviston Road, Billingham. Asda, Portrack Lane, Stockton.

* Patients are being asked to help their family doctors by doing their best to keep their appointments at surgeries and to only ask GP's to make home visits in urgent or emergency situations. Tees Health Authority, said that GP's were continuing their home visits as normal and the co-operation of patients will help urgent and emergency services to continue to be maintained.

*In a bid to cheer up people waiting in queues for petrol at Stockton's Savacentre, TFM radio station dressed up one of its staff as an ape and sent him to entertain the queuing motorists at Stockton's Savacentre.

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Read previous stories on this issue here:

12.09.00Blair defiant as fuel crisis spreads panic.

12.09.00 Features and comment from The Northern Echo.

11.09.00 Road chaos as truckers step up blockade action.

09.09.00 Trucker protest brings A1 chaos/

Additional information:

Read the Government document "Petrol Prices - the facts and choices".

Find out more about the campaign here.