AS panic purchases of petrol swept the nation on Tuesday, and a handful of low-key protests kicked off on Wednesday morning, petrol stations were suffering with low supplies and long queues to use pumps.

Protesters are wanting the government to lower the cost of fuel by dropping the taxes levied on it. However, Chancellor Gordon Brown is ruling this out in favour of efforts to make oil-producing countries lower their prices.

As protests were set to last until the end of the week, people rushed to make sure their tanks were full, which created a vicious circle as fuel sales outstripped supply.

On Tuesday, the Esso garage in Wey Hill was forced to close as its supplies ran dry, but it was reopened on Wednesday after receiving a fresh delivery.

The Royal Parade filling station on Tilford Road, Hindhead has been coping with the situation.

"We are doing OK, we have had a busy couple of days and we have restricted purchases to £20 per car, but we have enough supplies and I'm hoping to keep getting deliveries," said Mr Patel from the station.

Official bodies are hoping to deter a repeat of the problems experienced in 2000 with the police preventing blockades of roads leading to oil refineries.

"We are monitoring the situation and have a plan in place that was successfully implemented in 2000," said superintendent Danny Symington from Surrey Police.

"There is no current fuel crisis. The only reason fuel supplies may start to run low at some petrol stations is through unnecessary panic buying."

This spotlight on the demand for petrol has given environmental groups a crux to encourage the government to pioneer the use of alternative fuels.

The National Farmers Union (NFU) is hoping that the current situation will encourage the government to kick-start the UK's biofuels industry.

The NFU is urging for the implementation of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation which would source 5.75 per cent of road transport fuel from renewable sources by 2010, in line with EU targets.

"We're looking to government for innovative policies to get a biofuels industry off the ground, bringing widespread environmental benefits for all," said NFU south east regional director William White.

"Fossil fuels are a diminishing resource and Hurricane Katrina has given us all a wake-up call to the threat of global warming."