HUNDREDS of motorists are queuing at filling stations across the city as forecourts are forced to close amid fuel shortages.

Huge queues have been seen at filling stations in Brighton Marina and the A259 near Hove Lagoon, as motorists rush to fill up their cars.

A video taken from the Asda filling station in the marina shows a long line of customers waiting for pumps with tailbacks stretching around the popular district.

Pictures taken at a BP garage on the A259 shows a similar scene with dozens of motorists waiting for fuel.

One passerby in Hove said the rush is causing "big tailbacks" along the A259.

They said: “Because people are queuing to get petrol it is then causing big tailbacks along the A259.

“People are now out talking to drivers to try to get it organised.

“It has caused quite a tailback heading towards Shoreham from Hove.

“Not everyone wants petrol but they are caught up in it.

“It looks like staff are talking to drivers to try to organise it.”

It comes as Grant Shapps said on Friday that motorists should “carry on as normal”, despite the national shortage.

“The advice would be to carry on as normal, and that is what BP is saying as well,” he told Sky News.

On Thursday BP said it had closed a “handful” of its petrol forecourts due to a lock of available fuel.

A “small number” of Tesco refilling stations have also been impacted, said Esso owner ExxonMobil, which runs the sites.

He said: “As of last night, five petrol stations on the BP network out of 12 or 13 hundred were affected.

“I’m meeting this morning with Tesco and I’m sure they’ll give me the update for themselves.

“None of the other retailers said they had any closures.”

He added: “The others, Asda, Morrisons and other supermarkets, are saying they have no problems, as have other petrol companies.”

To the BBC’s Today programme Mr Shapps promised he would do what is needed to ensure that petrol gets to drivers.

“I’ll move heaven and Earth to do anything that’s required to make sure that lorries carry on moving our goods and services and petrol around the country,” he said.

He denied that Brexit was the culprit in the UK’s recent shortage of lorry drivers, arguing that the split from the European Union has helped the government react.