The proposed shut-down of the Grangemouth oil refinery due to strike action is already taking its toll on the fuel pumps – with the Shell petrol station on Bridge Street currently going through two tankers of fuel a day.

Things didn't look any better as the Review went to press on Tuesday as queues from the Shell stretched out onto the adjacent roundabout. The Londis station at North Esk Road also experienced busy periods.

With Grangemouth already shutting down operations in anticipation of the strike, there are fears there will be widespread shortages throughout Scotland.

Shell station manager Donnie Munro said that if people continue to fill their cars to the brim he could easily foresee the station running out of petrol.

He said: "It's been very, very busy since last week. People are literally panic buying. It's got worse in the last 48 hours. People are putting in £50-£80 a shot.

"If people were to just put in the amount they need to get them to work and back we wouldn't have any problem.

"I've been here 40 years and this place is busier now than it has ever been. If people keep this up and the strike goes ahead the garage will run out."

Both police vehicles and ambulances use the Bridge Street station to fuel up, as do Scottish Water and other essential services. But Donnie said there were plans in place to ration and even stop public sales to ensure priority vehicles can get their fuel.

He said: "We would obviously try and monitor it and keep a small supply for the essential services."

The Scottish Ambulance Service said that they do have plans in place which were devised following the fuel shortages of 2000.

A spokesperson for the service said: "We have very detailed contingency plans prepared in respect of scarcity of fuel. We are monitoring the situation daily and as part of that we do have an agreement in place with fuel suppliers to ensure vehicles have fuel."

A spokesperson for Tayside Police said their vehicles will be unaffected by a strike at Grangemouth, but said they have been dedicating additional resources to the town's two petrol stations should there be any occurrences of road rage.

Tayside Fire and Rescue said service provision in Montrose won't be
affected by any shortages as they have drawn up comprehensive plans to deal with such an issue following difficulties experienced during the fuel protests in 2000.