PICKETS - FORMER Evesham lorry driver turned public speaker in the guise of John Bull, Ray Egan, joined the picket line at the Kingsbury depot and said he was delighted with the stand the truckers had taken.

He said: "I worked as a lorry driver and on a farm in the Vale and I know how these shocking prices must affect our industries. We all need to get behind this protest to show the Government excessive tax on our fuel will not be tolerated."

POST - THE Royal Mail has warned deliveries will grind to a halt if the fuel blockade continues. Outlying rural areas l in the Vale and Cotswolds were likely to be hit first. Larger depots like Worcester have emergencies supplies for delivery vehicles serving the Evesham, Pershore and Broadway areas but they are not expected to last long.

TRANSPORT - Public transport is running more or less normally - for now. Tewkesbury-based Boomerang, which runs bus services in the Vale says it has enough fuel until the end of the week, while First Midland Red commercial manager, Austin Birks said: "We have enough to last to the end of the weekend. After Sunday we don't know what the situation will be."

Guide Friday is running normal services in Stratford and Newmark, which runs Stratford Blue, is running normally too. Pulham's Coaches in Bourton is among the best-stocked with enough fuel to last another week, but Cresswell's in Evesham says without extra supplies it may have to review services after tomorrow (Friday). Thames Trains says it has no problems on it Cotswold Line.