CONSUMER panic and the sheer greed of the oil companies were to blame for last week's petrol fiasco.

Although the protesters blockaded the gates, the oil companies could have easily maintained supplies. They should have ordered their drivers to keep the fuel flowing.

It is the least they could do for customers who make them enormous amounts of money day in, day out. How many other companies would pay their employees for refusing to carry out the job they are employed to do? This protest is not in the interest of ordinary people trying to get to work to keep their families. Mark my words, we will end up paying more for petrol than we did before this started. I also think fuel prices are too high but illegal action as a solution to the problem should not be tolerated.

The Prime Minister should not back down to this kind of bullying. What would happen if the electricity and water industries held the country to ransom?

This action by the road hauliers did not help the economy or the people of the country one bit, and should be condemned.

Mr M Bennett

Bury New Road

Bolton