WHAT'S it been like working at a petrol station during this unprecedented week?

We've been getting regular updates from Ian Fraser of Freshwater Garage, who told us: "It’s definitely been a busy week for our normally sedate Freshwater Garage."

The country has been in the grip of panic-buying across the forecourts despite pleas not to — and reassurance there is enough petrol and diesel and deliveries despite issues with the number of HGV drivers within the industry.

The Island has seen queues at various petrol stations, on and off, all week, and many ran out of fuel on occasions and had to temporarily close until the next top up.

Ian told us what his week was like, after having to close last weekend when the pumps ran dry.

"We were closed on Monday as we had no fuel, of either type left.

"As soon as we had a delivery on Tuesday the queue formed and it was constant throughout the next couple of days.

"We probably sold an average weeks fuel in two days.

"I wasn’t working on Wednesday, but I opened up on Thursday morning and had a relatively normal shift but Rod, who took over from me, was a lot busier.

"Yesterday (Friday) we had a small delivery of 5,000 litres of unleaded in the morning which was fine until this afternoon, about 3pm when queues started forming again. By 5pm we we were empty.

"A customer informed me that he had been all around Newport and all the supermarket sites were closed, and someone had told him that we had fuel in Freshwater, so here he was. The Island grapevine?

"I would like to point out that the vast majority of people I was serving were polite and civilised and I saw no problems with customers at the pumps.

"Most of them seemed to be visitors from the mainland who were worried about being able to get home, which is quite understandable I suppose."

Freshwater Garage has now completely run out of unleaded petrol until Tuesday's delivery.

However they are expecting a delivery of diesel this morning.

Many Island petrol stations are getting re-stocked daily and the Isle of Wight Council has said the fuel supply chain is still working so people shouldn't need to panic buy.

They also offered reassurance that emergency vehicles were catered for and the standard emergency plan for a petrol crisis is in place but is not needed at present.

Any garages wishing to update the County Press on their situation can email editor@iwcp.co.uk