FUEL campaigners last night promised not to stage refinery blockades and assured motorists their demonstrations would not lead to shortages at the pumps.

Drivers continued to flock to filling stations yesterday, but in some places the message not to panic appeared to be getting through as the day wore on.

Forecourt managers across the North-East and North Yorkshire reported another day of increased sales, but said the queues were becoming shorter by the evening.

The petrol panic led to some garages running short of fuel, but most are expecting their usual twice-daily deliveries, and bosses are confident that supplies will last - as long as motorists heed the advice.

North-East farmer and haulier Andrew Spence, a prime mover in the 2000 protests with the People's Fuel Lobby, last night indicated that this week's action, due to start at 6am today, would not disrupt supplies.

Mr Spence, from Consett, County Durham, said he was planning to stage peaceful protests at selected - but unnamed - refineries around the country.

He said: "We are not going to restrict any thoroughfare of fuel whatsoever. There will be no blockades."

A widespread fear that a new wave of protests could cripple the country sparked a wave of panic-buying.

The Shell garage in Woodland Road, Darlington, closed for half an hour on Monday night as supplies ran low.

Cars were also queuing off the forecourts at several filling stations in Hartlepool - including the Asda supermarket, and the Jet garage in Belle Vue Way.

Traffic flow had to be altered in the car park of Morrisons in Bishop Auckland to accommodate the increase in customers.

In York, the pumps ran dry at the filling stations at Asda at Monk's Cross and Tesco at Askham Bar, on Monday night, but both were open again within hours.

Asda in Portrack Lane, Stockton, ran out of un- leaded petrol at tea-time on Monday.