Pictures of queues and closed petrol stations in Basildon

People heading for the pumps caused traffic problems across the town on Friday. 

The rush to get petrol sparked long queues across the areas with many people left stuck in standstill traffic. 

Queues were seen at the Tesco filling station on the Mayflower Retail Park. 

• LIVE: Updates as huge queues form at petrol stations across Essex

One BP garage in the town has also put up a sign saying there is no fuel available. 

BP said that around 20 of its 1,200 petrol forecourts were closed today in the UK due to a lack of available fuel, with between 50 and 100 sites affected by the loss of at least one grade of fuel.

One BP garage in the town has also put up a sign saying there is no fuel available

There are also reports that the petrol station at Asda in Shoebury has been coned off, with eyewitnesses saying there is no sign of a delivery being the reason behind the closure. 

Arriva said: "#Southend We are experiencing severe delays on all of our services due to panic buying of fuel. The roads in and around petrol stations are very congested. Rayleigh is being hit hard along with other areas."

• Read more: Huge queues at pumps after reports of shortages of fuels across south Essex

Despite warnings not to motorists have been queuing up to buy fuel.

The scene at the Tesco store in Mayflower Retail Park

The issue has been sparked by the shortage of lorry drivers hit supplies.

Ministers faced fresh pressure to ease immigration rules as an emergency measure to attract HGV drivers from overseas amid warnings that 100,000 more were needed across the industry.

The Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Friday that motorists should “carry on as normal”.

“The advice would be to carry on as normal, and that is what BP is saying as well,” he told Sky News.