A DRIVER who transports disabled children and schoolchildren inadvertently caused a furore at a Worcester petrol station.

Torch nightclub advertises on the side of Keith Lowe's minibus, but passers-by saw red when they saw the vehicle filling up at the Lower Wick Jet station last night.

They mistakenly thought the nightclub was being given special favours but it was not. He is a genuine carer.

"I don't want anyone thinking I'm queue jumping," said Mr Lowe.

"To set the record straight I have a contract with the county council to take children to school including children at Thornton House Special School."

Meanwhile rumours were spreading like wildfire with another irate caller to the Evening News reporting that County Hall staff had been filling up at Lower Wick's Jet station.

But this again proved mistaken with council staff given special exemption if they were involved in essential care and maintenance services or waste disposal.

Helen Froud, director of corporate services, said the Home Secretary and police had agreed they should have special dispensation to buy fuel.

Lower Wick resident, Margaret Moses, said she was fuming after hearing that County Hall staff had been given petrol.

"I was so angry," she said. "We're all in this together. As a motorist I'm behind this bid to stop this daylight robbery of petrol prices but when you hear people coming in from County Hall, I couldn't believe it.

"They're not emergency services."

Meanwhile, Worcester firefighters have warned that some people are putting themselves at severe risk by stock-piling fuel in their cars.

Leading Firefighter Anthony Richardson, of the city's White Watch, appealed to drivers not to stock extra petrol in canisters as it put them in serious danger in the event of an accident.

The appeal was made after firefighters were called to a blazing Nissan pick up at Albany Terrace, off the city's Britannia Square, at 4.45am yesterday.

Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus dowsed the fire which was started in the vehicle's passenger compartment.

But Leading Firefighter Richardson said fuel being stored in the vehicle could have made the blaze far worse.

"We'd advise people not to store petrol in their vehicles as it could make an accident a lot worse," he said.

"People may be storing extra fuel in their vehicle and putting themselves in real danger."

Vicki Davies of Worcester police today confirmed officers were investigating the fire.