Business leaders in Suffolk have called on Hadleigh MP James Cartridge to put pressure on the Conservative government to increase the number of visas issued to HGV drivers from the EU.

Fuel shortages, sparked by panic buying after the Road Haulage Society warned of driver shortages, which led to BP garages not receiving supplies, along with supermarkets shelves not being filled with goods, have been a result in the lack of HGV drivers.

A spokesman from the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, representing businesses, said: "This appears to be a Government curiously out-of-touch at the moment not only with the realities of the needs of our members and the wider Suffolk business community, but with the realities of how people lead their lives.

"The three-month temporary visas being offered to EU HGV drivers falls well short of our calls for a year-long extension, in order for the haulage sector - working with Government - to have a plan in place to encourage, develop and train the necessary home-grown drivers.

"We are also worried that this is a rather naïve baby step, as it is predicated upon significant numbers of EU drivers wishing to switch from their current contracts and family commitments to come over to the UK for such a short period of time.

"We are urging Suffolk's MPs and council leaders to use their influence in Government to both significantly expand the number of visas issued within this scheme and convene a summit that brings business and ministers together to find both immediate and longer-term solutions to the many challenges facing firms throughout the UK.

"Without further action, we now face the very real prospect of serious scarring to the Suffolk economy, stifled growth as well as another less than happy Christmas for many local businesses and their customers in the county and beyond."

Despite the shortage affecting only BP petrol stations initially, the fear of missing out led to long queues elsewhere, including the Lady lane petrol station in Hadleigh.

Sue Scholes of Oldham Hill Road said: "It has been ridiculous. Panic buying has caused unnecessary problems, it is loo rolls all over agains.

"That said, if the government don't sort out the mess caused in part by Brexit, as we have seen by the delays at ports like Felixstowe, then a lot of people are going to have a lot of unhappy children at Christmas."

South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge, who represents Haleigh in parliament, said: "I do strongly sympathise with constituents urgently needing fuel who have struggled to fill up, and want to assure them the Government is looking at what it can do to assist, whilst stressing the need for us all to do our bit through sensible buying behaviour.

"The main message on the fuel situation that we need people to understand is: only try to buy it if you really need it. I understand why there is now a wider debate on lorry drivers etc, but the fact is if so called 'panic buying' hadn't kicked off, we would have ample petrol and diesel at the pumps.

"Likewise, if those with a reasonable amount in the tank were to leave forecourts for those most urgently needing fuel for the next few days, then it's likely that the situation would stabilise. The same happened in general retail in the pandemic - underlying stock levels were never an issue and availability stabilised once people had stopped buying outside of their usual demand pattern."

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