Lees petrol station runs out of fuel as panic buying hits Oldham

Lees Village Service Station ran out of fuel on Wednesday after panic buying swept through Oldham following missile strikes in the Middle East. The independent garage, which had 38,000 litres arriving Thursday, warned it would run dry again by day's end as motorists rushed to fill up.

The station's management blamed the chaos on escalating conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, with missile and drone attacks spreading across the Gulf and into Lebanon and Gaza. They said prices were already set to rise before the war but would climb higher next week.

Can I please ask, do not panic buying fuel,' the station posted on social media. 'We need people who are working to be able to go about their daily business as normal.

The garage urged customers to take only what they need, warning against returning to the fuel crisis days when purchases were limited. They promised to pass on next week's price increases without profiteering, explaining their costs would rise by thousands of pounds.

With 38,000 litres costing them significantly more next week, the station faces a tough balancing act between staying open and absorbing price hikes. For now, they're asking Lees residents to think of their neighbours before topping up.