There was petrol panic in Lowestoft this afternoon as two of the town's main filling stations closed as motorists filled up their vehicles ahead of a planned tanker drivers strike.

The petrol stations at the Tesco on Leisure way and the Asda on Horn Hill have been closed leading to motorists trying to find other filing stations.

It is not known when they will re-open.

There was a large queue at the nearby Jet Garage on Yarmouth Road with frustrated drivers beeping their horns at the hold up.

The Morrisons petrol station in South Lowestoft was still open and said it has been 'extremely busy' so far today but it would not run out of petrol.

In Carlton Colville, near Lowestoft, the Carlton Colville Service Station on the Street said by late morning that it had seen the number of people buying petrol shoot up three fold compared to an average day.

Paul Corbett, who works there said: 'It has been very, very busy.'

He added the petrol panic was the number one topic of conversation of customers.