Petrol stations across Sussex were starting to run out of fuel today after rumours of fresh blockades sparked a new round of panic buying.

Police said "unfounded rumours" of a tanker-drivers' strike caused the panic and they urged drivers to stay calm.

There was a 200-yard queue at Q8 in Mill Road, off London Road, Brighton, and the Asda supermarket at Hollingbury, Brighton, temporarily closed its pumps because of congestion.

Some garages were running out of fuel but one independent supplier said he would stay open even if there was a strike.

Anthony Salvidge, who runs 12 service stations in Sussex, said: "Our drivers are not part of any union so any strike would not affect us anyway.

"We have queues building up at our stations but we would advise people not to panic."

East and West Sussex fire services and county councils said their vehicles had sufficient fuel and no services were threatened.

The rumours of new anti-fuel tax protests started in South Wales and quickly spread to other parts of the country, including Sussex.

The Association of Chief Police Officers said panic buying was based on "utterly unfounded rumours" while the Petrol Retailers Association warned that the situation could become "extremely serious".

An Acpo spokesman said: "The fuel situation is returning to normal and 80 per cent of stations are supplied."

He said panic buying was "based on utterly unfounded rumours and there's no cause for anyone to return to panic buying.

"It is based on a misinterpretation and misunderstanding of something that was said on a local radio station, who have since retracted what was put out. This is a totally unnecessary reaction."

The Petrol Retailers Association said there was no evidence of any action taking place at any fuel terminal.

The Transport and General Workers Union said none of its tanker driver members was taking official industrial action and there were no reports of unofficial strikes.

Tankers were continuing to drive out of Avonmouth Docks, near Bristol, with no problems.

The developments followed Chancellor Gordon Brown's rejection of the 60-day deadline set by fuel protesters.

Mr Brown said: "We are not going to make decisions on the basis of deadlines such as this."

Police were forced to close some petrol station forecourts in Cardiff to break-up fuel queues which were disrupting traffic.

Other towns and cities affected included Greater Manchester, Newcastle, Dorset, Teesside and Hampshire.

A Hampshire Police spokesman said the situation was as bad as at the height of last week's protests.

Shadow transport minister Bernard Jenkin said: "This kind of public reaction shows that people have no faith that the Government has solved this crisis."