Motorists in north London have told how they are still struggling to get fuel, as the industry said there were signs the crisis was easing.

Panic buying at petrol stations, sparked by concerns the HGV driver shortage would prevent supplies reaching the pumps, has seen long queues and pockets of aggression over the last few days.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has announced soldiers could be drafted in to drive tankers in the next couple of days to help alleviate the problem.

Some roads around London have become gridlocked as motorists hunted for stations that have fuel, with some carrying petrol cans, plastic jugs and water bottles to stock up, and there were even reports of violence in a handful of places.

And for those who rely on fuel for work there are still issues, despite assurances that the situation was easing.

Speaking at a garage in central London on Wednesday, Whitechapel minicab driver Altaf Hussain, 54, said: “At the moment, it is still a crisis, because I was at a couple of petrol stations, I didn’t find petrol anywhere.

“As soon as possible, the Government need to tackle this problem, they need to do it soon, because if they do not our business is going to collapse.”

East London resident Jusna Begum told the PA news agency: “We’re Londoners, we get frightened easily when we have to struggle for something.

“Especially when you live in London, everything is at your fingertips, so when something is not here we go mental.

“People can be easily misled, there is no fuel shortage, it’s that they can’t get it to us.”

The Sainsbury’s petrol station in the Haringey Green Lanes business park only had diesel left by 5pm on Wednesday.

One 38-year-old nursery worker, from Islington, said she had been to four outlets on Tuesday before giving up.

“My friend told me I could get petrol here so I drove over because there is none in Islington.”

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s Boris Johnson. The more he says there isn’t a problem the more people panic buy because people just don’t trust him.

“People will just do the opposite of what he says.”

The Government has announced other measures, including temporary visas for qualified hauliers to help tackle the shortage, and one driver said the issue had been “blown out of proportion”.

East London-based multi-trade worker Glenn Longhurst, 53, said: “It’s been difficult getting fuel because of the amount of queues by the other people panic buying.

“I just think it’s not the Government’s fault at all, there is a shortage of HGV drivers. This has all been blown out of proportion by the media.”

Some petrol station workers have seen signs the situation is improving as their companies have stepped up supplies.

Old Street Shell petrol station manager Senthu Kumar, 35, said: “It is normal now. I have got two deliveries for the past three days.

“I have seen massive queues, long queues passing through the Old Street roundabout. I just have to wait and see if it will get better.

“There was arguing on the Monday morning, and people coming round the wrong way.”