PETROL stations across Bolton had run completely dry of unleaded fuel today as the effects of the fuel crisis deepened across the country. Last night the government was given the go-ahead by the Queen and the Privy Council to use emergency powers to ensure the distribution of fuel. And today Prime Minister Tony Blair cancelled a regional tour of Yorkshire and returned to London for emergency meetings with ministers to discuss the deepening fuel crisis, Downing Street said.

It is now expected that police reinforcements will go in to break the picketing of refineries and depots that has halted normal distribution for four days.

A BEN check on Bolton's filling stations today revealed that there was no unleaded fuel left and only very small amounts of four star and diesel.

As the desperate scramble for the last drops of petrol reached a peak last night traffic police were called to deal with gridlock around Horwich and the Middlebrook park.

A queue of more than 500 cars had backed up in a bid to get the last supplies of unleaded petrol from the Tesco filling station. And today police were investigating claims that a three man gang had been spotted siphoning fuel from a car in Bradshaw.

Health chiefs in Bolton were today using major incident plans to make sure hospital services did not grind to a halt.

Bosses have been holding emergency planning meetings for the last 24 hours and a North-west incident control room has been set up to co-ordinate efforts in Warrington.

They say they are coping at the moment -- but like other services could run into problems should the situation carry on.

Managers at the Royal Bolton Hospital were today considering cancelling non-urgent operations if the crisis continues and doctors and nurses could be offered accommodation on site at the Minerva Road hospital.

The knock-on effects of the fuel crisis also look set to hit public transport around Bolton. Ambulance chiefs are considering offering their staff overnight accommodation so they can definitely make it into work.

GMAS director of human resources, John Williams, said: "As an emergency service we have an agreement with our fuel supplier that we will continue to receive diesel deliveries through industrial action, although this cannot be guaranteed."

He added: "One of our biggest concerns is the effect of the fuel crisis on our staff's ability to get into work and with this in mind we are exploring ways to address this issue such as making rooms available overnight at our training centre at Ladybridge Hall."

GMAS have also changed the training schedule of their paramedics, saving the driving part of the course to a later date to save fuel.

And public transport was feeling the effects. Some operators have already been forced to take buses off certain routes and others suggest their operations could be seriously affected over the coming week.

If fuel supplies continue to be be blocked, bus operators are indicating they will be struggling to provide services by Friday.

Train operators in the area have indicated a normal level of service over the next two days, but they will have to constantly review over the next few days.

GMPTE will be monitoring the situation and will endeavour to keep passengers regularly updated.

Full details of bus and train times are available from Greater Manchester's Public Transport Information Line on 0161 228 7811.

Angry taxi drivers joined the protests yesterday afternoon by staging a snail's pace convoy through Bolton town centre.

Astley Bridge police chief Supt Stewart Bailey said they currently had fuel supplies but would be forced to consider deploying officers out in the districts instead of on mobile patrol to save fuel.

Bolton's bins will be emptied as normal this week -- despite the fuel crisis.

The borough's fleet of bin wagons are run on diesel and a council spokesman said that they had enough to last at least into next week.

But he added: "Contingency plans are being drawn up to list the serviceswhich can be cut if we have to. The biggest problem will be staff getting into work." Social services staff are also operating normally today, but Mrs Sue Lightup, deputy director, said that if the crisis continues, services to Bolton's most vulnerable will be protected and other areas of work cut.

School swimming lessons have been stopped this week because bus contractors want to save supplies for services which take pupils to and from school.

Up to 3,000 petrol stations across the country have already run out of petrol and the government was today monitoring the deepening petrol crisis before deciding whether to invoke special contingency powers.

But ministers are acutely aware that they could risk the first serious confrontation between the police and pickets since the miners' strike and protests at Wapping in the 1980s.

Police say they will do everything in their power to ensure that physical access to oil installations is kept open and that people who wilfully obstruct entry or exit from such sites are dealt with firmly within the law.

However protesters at the Shell oil refinery in Stanlow, Cheshire, today warned Prime Minister Tony Blair not to aggravate peaceful blockades by ordering police to act.

The majority of fans travelling to tonight's Wanderers clash with Grimsby were not expected to be affected as Shearings Holidays who operate the official Travel Club have supplies of fuel.

And the North West Counties League game tonight between Atherton Collieries and Great Harwood has been postponed as the Blackburn side cannot travel because of the fuel situation.