Petrol sales went up by 45% yesterday, and diesel by 20%, seemingly the result of the Government’s suggestion that drivers stock up prior to a tanker driver strike.”People, but especially businesses, should look at their contingency plans [for fuel],” said a Government spokesperson yesterday.And David Cameron was evidently not careful enough with his choice of language when he suggested, with typical verbosity, that “if there is an opportunity to top up your tank if a strike is potentially on the way, then it is a sensible thing if you are able to do that.”

Scores of drivers weighed it up and concluded that, yes, it is a sensible thing; forecourts began to run out of fuel.Their decision was probably aided by the advice of cabinet minister Francis Maude, who, in a brief fit of disregard for UK law, ventured that drivers could sort themselves out with “a little bit [of fuel] in their garage as well in a jerry can.”

In fairness to Mr Maude, he was probably suggesting simply that drivers collect themselves a small quantity of extra fuel in legal containers while they were next at the petrol station, just in case. Not, as some people seem to believe he meant, that everyone rush out to stockpile fuel in old four-gallon, World War II era steel canisters, then prop them up against gas fires in their living rooms.

Of course, storing fuel in the home is dangerous, and potentially illegal, as the Fire Brigades Union’s instant condemnation of Mr Maude’s advice confirmed. (A residence can legally store up to ten litres of fuel if it’s in two plastic five-litre screw top containers.)

The FBU’s secretary Matt Wrack, calling for a proper withdrawal of Mr Maude’s advice, said: “The general public does not properly understand the fire and explosion risk of storing fuel… Those without garages may be tempted to store fuel in the home. In the event of a fire in the house or a neighbouring property, it would be disastrous.”

But we couldn’t get enough of the stuff yesterday, with long queues reportedly forming at garages in Liverpool, North Wales and Kent. The image above is of an Asda fuel station in Trafford Park, Manchester, which had to close.

As such, petrol station retailers have condemned the Government for its apparent fuel station panic chaos complicity. Talking to BBC Radio 4, the Retail Motor Industry’s Brian Madderson said that “the Government seems to be intent in creating a crisis out of a serious concern.”

“There are now 6,000 fewer forecourts than there were at the time of the fuel blockade in 2000, and over and above that, our retailers are struggling financially. Volumes are down, margins are down and cash flow is very tight so they have probably got the lowest stock levels in their tanks underground at forecourts that they have ever had,” he continued.

Mr Maude was yesterday afternoon given a chance to respond to the FBU’s condemnation of his controversial advice. Talking to the BBC, he clarified that he was “saying people should take sensible precautions within sensible limits and obviously within what the law allows.”

This morning the Government has said that he had misunderstood the size of a jerry can. It has also amended its advice, and is now suggesting drivers top up their tanks when they’re half full. Or half empty, depending on your view.

Despite a strike appearing imminent, with tanker drivers from the main Unite union already having voted in favour of it, Unite itself says that it is working “tirelessly” to avoid industrial action. According to assistant general secretary Diana Holland, “we have been tireless in seeking talks to avoid industrial action, but we have been frustrated at every turn.”

The Government yesterday assembled the important sounding COBRA committee (an erroneous acronym for Cabinet Office Briefing Room) to concoct a backup plan, should the tankers go on strike over Easter.

The plan reportedly focuses on using army personnel to drive petrol tankers, although without the specialist training and vehicles that the tanker drivers operate, they’ll only be able to cover a fraction of the distribution network