RAF drivers called up to deliver fuel

Royal Air Force personnel have been called up at short notice to help deliver fuel to forecourts and alleviate pressure on supplies.

After two days of role-specific training, 64 airmen have started deliveries, alongside industry partners, to keep stations open in the UK's worst-affected areas.

The selected personnel were already qualified HGV drivers and could therefore provide immediate relief, following weeks of fuel shortages.

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RAF drivers are working alongside personnel from the Royal Navy and Army as part of Operation Escalin.

The operation now features 486 military members.

Set to continue on their mission throughout October, the RAF personnel are working 12-hour shifts starting at 04:00.

They are tasked with collecting fuel from refineries and transporting it directly to the forecourts.

Senior Aircraftsmen Jason Banning, from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, is used to delivering fuel to frontline Typhoon fighter jets.

"It's been a hectic week, but it feels great to pull into a petrol station with 40,000 litres of fuel and thinking how many people it will help," he said.

A shortage of HGV drivers was blamed for fuel supply problems, which has led to lengthy waits outside stations and the subsequent deployment of Army drivers in late September.

Many stations had been forced to close, though increased deliveries across the UK have seen the supply chain significantly improve over the last fortnight.