FRONTLINE organisations are preparing a joint approach in a bid to prevent disaster if people start stockpiling petrol before the second threatened fuel blockade.

The Government has been given until 13 November to meet the demands of the protesters who brought the country to a standstill in the summer.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, Trading Standards and the Health and Safety Executive are preparing for the worst.

The main problem is there are three separate pieces of legislation covering the storage of fuel at home and they want to ensure there is a clear message sent out in the event of a new blockade.

Station Officer John Greenbank of Hampshire fire brigade's press office said the simplest advice was to remind people they are only allowed to store petrol in two, five litre, approved plastic containers - in their garages or garden sheds. The containers should have a British Standard kite mark. He said: "We did hear of horror stories last time about people using plastic milk containers or plastic cans of various types and size."

If the plastic is not of the correct kind it can break down and release petrol. "It doesn't happen immediately but people then leave it in their garages and the plastic gradually breaks down. You then have five litres of fuel or whatever spread across the garage floor and it's a death trap."

During the crisis one man in Nottingham caused chaos when he stored petrol in a plastic wheelie bin in his lounge. As the petrol dissolved in the bottom of the bin it leaked.

The immediate area around his home had to be evacuated. In Hampshire a man was badly burnt when he ran the engine to pump fuel directly from the car into a container.