COUNTY emergency planners urged motorists not to panic as Chancellor Gordon Brown waited to see if his pre-budget statement would appease fuel protestors last night.

Mr Brown announced a cut of 3p a litre in ultra low sulphur diesel from March 2001 and 3p a litre in ultra low sulphur petrol, a cut of 2p a litre in LRP and a free in duty on other fuels.

There will also be a Brit disc scheme for lorries using British roads and cuts in road tax of £2,000 for larger lorries and £1,000 for other lorries with an average saving per lorry of £1,750 a year.

Hauliers and farmers had been asking for a 26p a litre cut in fuel duty.

Mike Garbutt, proprietor of Mike Garbutt Transport in Market Lavington, said: "The cut in road tax is something but when we are paying £100 a day to fill our tanks it would be have fairer to have had parity on fuel prices. The cuts will not mean our costs are lower than the French for example.

"The Chancellor has given a derisory cut on fuel. Since the protests in September the cost has risen more than 3p a litre. The cut announced by the Chancellor is nowhere near enough."

Even before yesterday's statement petrol stations across the county had been jammed with motorists filling up.

Supplies at both the Safeway and Sainsbury petrol filling stations in Chippenham dried up for a time earlier in the week.

Sales rose at the London Road Murco filling station in Calne.

Assistant Sue Taylor said: "We were selling more than usual last week. Demand is still a bit higher this week."David Head, Wiltshire County Council's head of emergency planning, said: He said: "There is plenty of fuel available but because panic buying is going on the demand is temporarily outstripping supply. People are filling up even when their tanks are three quarters full but there is no need to do that."

Mr Head said new contingency plans have been drawn up by the county council in case of fuel shortages.