Last-ditch talks to avert a strike by 641 tanker drivers who supply one in 10 UK petrol stations have begun at a secret location.

Despite pleas from Downing Sreet for motorists to stay calm and refrain from panic buying, industry experts believe the move will backfire and that in the next 48 hours before Friday’s 6am deadline for strike action, motorists in parts of the country will rush to the pumps.

There is particular concern that motorists with almost full tanks could exacerbate problems by topping up with 10 or 15 extra litres instead of buying normally.

It was this pattern of buying which caused a run on petrol supplies in Scotland, when strike action hit Grangemouth oil refinery at the end of April.

One option might be to introduce a minimum sale of £30 to £40 at forecourts to deter panic buyers - but such a move is unlikely unless a strike is called and there is a nationwide run at the pumps.

At present, however, ministers are not keen to introduce emergency powers to ration fuel and are hoping a deal will be reached to call off action.

However, there is concern in Whitehall that if the strike goes ahead, other fuel protesters, militant hauliers and farmers, might join in pickets of refineries and distribution depots which could affect fuel supplies to other retail outlets.

The negotiations being conducted by conciliation services, Acas, are expected to be drawn out.

A team of about six has been fielded by Unite, the union which is representing the drivers, to talk face to face with senior staff from Hoyer UK and Suckling Transport, who are contracted by Shell to distribute fuel to 880 forecourts.

A spokeswoman for Unite said today: “They have gone into the talks in good faith but they have taken their toothbrushes. This is an eight-month-old dispute and they are not going to give in easily. What is absolutely clear is that the drivers are not going to pay for their own pay rises by a move to overnight working. They are not going to accept it.”

Unite had requested that Shell take part in the talks, but it is unlikely anyone will do so.

At present there are plenty of fuel supplies and John Hutton, Business Secretary, has made it easier for oil companies to share information about fuel stocks without being accused of operating as a cartel.

The dispute involves 500 drivers employed by Hoyer UK and 141 by Suckling Transport, who are sole suppliers for Shell. The garages they supply are mainly in the South East, the Midlands and the North West of England, and in central Scotland.

Shell forecourts are to receive deliveries of oil which can last four days. As long as motorists stick to usual buying patterns there should not be a shortage. Even if there is a strike, tankers will be back on the roads from 6am next Tuesday.

The union is in dispute because a claim for a 13 per cent pay rise has been rejected. A 6.8 per cent offer from the employers has also been turned down. The union claim is that a driver’s average salary before overtime is £32,000 and has not increased for 16 years.

The Government today is reiterating its message to motorists to act responsibly, refrain from panic buying and “to buy as normal.”

Industry sources, however, are convinced that mention of the word ‘panic’ is sufficient to trigger a frenzy at the pumps, particularly at regular ‘panic hotspots’ such as Southampton, Reading, Edinburgh and Stoke-on-Trent.

The unknown factor in this dispute is whether the other 2,400 tanker drivers in the country will support the dispute.

The impact of the industrial action would be felt more widely if the striking drivers picketed distribution depots used by other companies, or if other drivers joined in the protest.

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