UK fuel crisis: Prices rise to eight-year high as army on standby

Military tanker drivers are prepared for deployment as panic buying dries pumps and pushes prices up.

Britain’s army has been put on standby to deliver fuel as panic buying worsened a supply crisis, sending prices to an eight-year high.

Announcing the move late on Monday, the government said a “limited number” of military tanker drivers were ready to be deployed if needed.

“While the fuel industry expects demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days, it’s right that we take this sensible, precautionary step,” Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said in a statement, without specifying how many drivers had been readied.