A HAMPSHIRE ferry company has urged customers stock up on fuel amid strikes in France.

Brittany Ferries has issued a statement urging passengers taking their cars to France with a fuel tank of petrol due to shortages in the country.

A dispute over labour reforms has led to blockades in towns, motorways and bridges.

An overnight crossing from Le Havre to Portsmouth has been cancelled, but the firm say that the situation is improving, and the customers have been transferred to another ferry sailing from Caen.

A spokesman for Brittany Ferries said: “Apart from the cancelled Le Havre sailing, all our services to and from France are operating to schedule (these operate from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth to Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo and Roscoff).

“In general the fuel situation in the North West of France (and indeed across the country) continues to improve. For example, most of the stations in Brittany are back in operation and there is now almost no rationing at the pump.

“We are advising customers to travel with a full tank of fuel and to fill up when they can in France, but there is certainly no suggestion that France is running dry. And the fuel supply situation continues to improve.

“Despite the difficulties, our crew, staff and customers have been able to find fuel (we have 2,000 crew in France), sometimes with the help of external websites like www.carbeo.com and www.mon-essence.fr.

“For safety reasons, petrol cans are strictly forbidden onboard our ferries, and the transport of diesel in vehicles is only permitted in containers/jerry cans specifically constructed for the carriage of diesel and to a maximum of 5 litres per vehicle.”