Local Resilience Forum: ‘Some key workers have been verbally abused’ on petrol forecourts

The Local Resilience Forum has issued an update today around the current situation with fuel.

The Forum, a body made up of all organisations involved in dealing with emergencies, say, “Drivers across North Wales are being reminded that there is no fuel shortage and no need to panic buy.”

Representatives of all the emergency services, local authorities, health providers and other key agencies across the region have met to review the impact of the panic buying on vital service provision to local communities.

Concerns about a shortage of fuel have led to an increase in the number of motorists visiting filling stations.

In some places this has caused queues and road congestion, which as well as causing delays to other road users could also potentially impact on critical and emergency services.

The Forum added, “All key services have plans in place to deal with fuel shortages and currently the situation is not impacting how agencies across North Wales are providing services to local communities. We are however asking people to be sensible and not panic buy.”

Local authorities have also had reports of care workers receiving verbal abuse on forecourts.

Superintendent Mark Williams said: “Although we have not had official reports of this, anecdotally we are aware that some key workers have been verbally abused.

“This is totally unacceptable and I would appeal to people to be patient and considerate.”

“If you are at a filling station and can see emergency services or care workers waiting to buy fuel, please consider allowing them to fuel up first so that they can carry on keeping the community safe and responding to emergencies”