200 soldiers will start delivering petrol on MONDAY in bid to end UK fuel crisis after going through crash HGV course

NEARLY 200 soldiers will start delivering petrol on MONDAY in a bid to end the UK fuel crisis after going through a crash HGV course.

Military tanker drivers have been undertaking training at haulier sites and will be deployed to deliver fuel to forecourts across the country to help relieve the situation, which the Government insists is stabilising.

The Ministry of Defence approved the request for assistance and soldiers will start driving fuel lorries on Monday next week.

The new development will see soldiers driving HGVs after the PM was urged to "act now" as thousands of Brits panic buy at petrol stations across the country.

It was also announced that a temporary visa scheme for foreign HGV drivers that was due to expire on December 24 will now be extended to the end of February.

The Government said 300 fuel drivers will be able to come to the UK from overseas "immediately" under a bespoke temporary visa which will last until March.

And 4,700 other visas intended for foreign food haulage drivers will be extended beyond the initially announced three months and will last from late October to the end of February.

But Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned that shortages of goods could continue until Christmas, adding that we're seeing "real disruptions in supply chains."

He told the Mail: "We are determined to do what we can to try to mitigate as much of this as we can."

The Chancellor revealed that he has "full confidence and optimism" about economic recovery, despite the problems with energy, food, and fuel supplies.

The Government said that demand for fuel has stabilised and there is now more being delivered than sold, but that some parts of the country still face challenges.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said: "The Government has taken decisive action to tackle the short-term disruption to our supply chains, and in particular the flow of fuel to forecourts.

"We are now seeing the impact of these interventions with more fuel being delivered to forecourts than sold and, if people continue to revert to their normal buying patterns, we will see smaller queues and prevent petrol stations closing."

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "Across the weekend over 200 military personnel will have been mobilised as part of Operation Escalin.

"While the situation is stabilising, our armed forces are there to fill in any critical vacancies and help keep the country on the move by supporting the industry to deliver fuel to forecourts."

The temporary visa scheme was announced last week as panic buying hit filling stations across the UK, with a shortage of HGV drivers having affected supplies of petrol and diesel.

As well as foreign drivers, 5,500 poultry workers will also be allowed in to help keep supermarket shelves stocked with turkeys before Christmas.

ARMY OF THE UNLEAD

The Government has said these workers will now be able to stay up to December 31.

But it added that the visas will not be a long-term solution and it wants to see employers make investments in the UK domestic workforce instead of relying on overseas labour.

It said it is also working with industry to find long-term solutions to the shortage of HGV drivers and to encourage more people to enter the logistics by improving pay and conditions.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "Thanks to the immense efforts of industry over the past week, we are seeing continued signs that the situation at the pumps is slowly improving.

"UK forecourt stock levels are trending up, deliveries of fuel to forecourts are above normal levels, and fuel demand is stabilising.

"It's important to stress there is no national shortage of fuel in the UK, and people should continue to buy fuel as normal. The sooner we return to our normal buying habits, the sooner we can return to normal."