UK

Post deliveries could soon be affected by
the fuel crisis. A Post Office spokesman
warned that unless it received fuel soon,
there would be "significant disruption".

Ministers put the National Health Service on
red alert today as the growing fuel crisis
put routine health care services at risk.

BANKS called an emergency meeting today over
the impact of the fuel crisis on their cash
dispenser and cheque clearing processes.

CAR production could halt in the next 24 hours
at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant when its fuel
reserves run out.

FIREMEN were called to a house in Derby
occupied by a taxi driver and his family
after a neighbour smelled petrol. Inside
they found a wheelie bin which had melted
and leaked at least 50 gallons of fuel into
the floor and adjoining properties.

A further 300 gallons was found in beer kegs.
More than 25 people were evacuated as firemen
tried to contain and then collect the petrol.

Blair yesterday raised the prospect of an
emergency recall of Parliament - and pleaded
with protesters to go home, saying lives were
now at risk.

He also refused to rule out calling in troops
to drive the tankers.

He added: "Shortages are now beginning to
cause problems across a whole range of
industrial sectors.

Scotland

POLICE were called in to sort out motoring
madness yesterday after drivers mobbed a
filling station which had just had a delivery.

BARS will run dry in six days if the fuel
crisis does not break, brewers warned yesterday.

SCOTLAND'S health service was cracking under
the strain of the fuel shortage yesterday.

Operations were cancelled, doctors were forced
to shelve home visits and ambulance services
were scaled down.

One surgeon warned it was only a matter of time
before lives were lost. And a doctors' leader
begged for emergency fuel supplies so GPs could
reach house-bound patients.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), September 14, 2000

Answers

I wonder how France escaped a like catastrophe. I guess this shows, a country can go about a week, but not much longer.

-- QMan (qman@c-zone.net), September 14, 2000.