WYRE Forest transport, council and school services across the district are facing widespread disruption.

Journeys to and from school are being threatened, and Worcestershire County Council has introduced a 'snowdesk' helpline used during wintertime to co-ordinate closures due to bad weather.

Head of policy development Colin Weeden called for schools and bus operators running out of fuel to inform radio stations and the Local Education Authority if services were in danger.

Refuse collection has been made "top priority" by Wyre Forest District Council which said other services may suffer by next week.

Leader, Councillor Mike Oborski said: "After careful consideration refuse has been given priority. At the moment, we have five days fuel supply left for most services."

Austin Birks, commercial manager of Wyre Forest's main bus service, First Midland Red, said the company had fuel supplies for services to run as normal in the district to the end of Sunday.

He added: "We will have a full network running in Wyre Forest each day until Sunday, but would have to reassess the situation if it didn't improve then. Some of our services in Worcester are already being affected."

The Women's Royal Voluntary Service, which has a Kiderminster branch and provides a meals-on-wheels delivery service to the elderly, is also feeling the strain.

Jayne Stock, food service manager at the WRVS head office in Worcester, urged friends of county folk to help with deliveries whenever possible to ensure food is distributed as normal until the situation eases.

Wyre Forest MP David Lock, a minister in the Lord Chancellor's department and member of the Government, said the blockades would not prove beneficial to the protestErs and urged them to bring a halt to the situation.

He said: "There is a serious issue about rising fuel prices which has been caused by the rise in the world price of fuel, not rises in domestic taxation."