The UK government is being pressed to use special powers so that only essential workers can buy petrol.
Up to 90 percent of petrol stations have run dry across major English cities as a shortage of truck drivers pushes deliveries to breaking point. And the government says panic buying is to blame.
England has gone on a fuel hunt as supplies run out.
"It's chaos, absolute chaos," says Shieji Patel. Patel has driven a black cab for a decade, but every petrol station he can think of to try in central London is coned off or plastered in 'you're out of luck' signs.
The next station he finds is open - but it's utter bedlam. Tempers are flaring as people sneakily try to stockpile.
The queue is intimidating - and for most people waiting in it, it's not their first attempt to fill up.
"We went to 11 yesterday... and they were all out of order," one person told Newshub.
Some have been sleeping in their cars to be first in line come the dawn delivery.
But there are simply not enough truck drivers. Lorry drivers are leaving because there are better wages somewhere else, and then they can't be replaced.
Now, up to 90 percent of brands are now out of fuel in the UK's major cities.
The first five petrol stations Newshub visited were completely closed, out of stock. One has a £20 cap on the amount of fuel you can buy - and even still, they expect to be completely dry within a couple of hours.
"Very stressful, a lot of fighting, everyone arguing with each other," a petrol station attendant says.
The government is playing down reports it's considering bringing in the troops to drive trucks. It's playing down the problem too - blaming it on panic buyers.
"I do not panic buy, I just don't join the mayhem, but you have no choice when you've run out of petrol," one buyer responded.
Essential workers such as emergency services and healthcare workers are asking to be prioritised, and motorists are already being warned of rising prices in the coming days.
But just like the great toilet paper hunt of 2020, the government is adamant - the shortage will be short-lived.
