LOYALTY was rewarded by one village garage which has managed to retain its fuel stocks throughout the week.

Queues stretched half-a-mile down the road at the Arnside Ford garage for a time on Monday before owner Clive Sisson decided that regular customers and account holders should get priority.

Mr Sisson has taken a hard-line and turned some drivers away because they never normally visit his forecourt although he has taken pity on others whose vehicles are running on empty and allowed them £5 worth of fuel.

"People who don't patronise this garage over the rest of the year, then they can go elsewhere," said Mr Sisson, who is expecting another delivery of fuel in the next couple of days.

"On Monday we were letting everybody have it and we were extremely busy.

Instead of letting everybody fill up we were letting them have £10 worth.

It was really hard work."

Mr Sisson reckons that panic buying by motorists sparked the crisis.

"We had people coming in who could only squeeze £5 worth into their tanks," he said.

Ian and Gary Spencer, who run the Devonshire Service Station on Victoria Road, Ulverston, also decided to look after their regulars after they were "swamped" with motorists on Monday.

"People came who we had never seen before, and we just said 'No.

We will keep the rest back for our regulars'," said Ian.

"We've taken abuse for doing it, but we are a small business and look after those who look after us all year round."