Nottinghamshire petrol station saves fuel supplies for key workers

Carers in the area had been struggling to find a petrol station with fuel

A petrol station has decided to sell its limited fuel reserves to customers who can prove they are key workers.

Sivapalan Krishanand, who owns the BP garage on Sutton Road in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, responded to a plea from a local care provider.

He said his wife works for the NHS and he knows how important it is for such staff to commute to work.

Scott Marsh, the care provider, said giving key workers priority was saving lives.

'Essential'

Mr Krishanand said: "Care workers are very important.

"Staff need to look after [people]... so I stopped serving the other customers and started serving only the key workers.

"We are running out of fuel anyway so what I've got, I'm keeping for them."

Key workers will need to show their ID to staff working in the kiosk before they will be allowed to use the pumps.

Mr Krishanand said most customers who are not key workers have been understanding, but others have become angry.

"We have to explain the situation - until we get other tankers or we get back to normal we can't provide any fuel," he said.

The petrol station owner said most people who are not key workers have been understanding

Mr Marsh, who runs Your Home Care in nearby Mansfield, put out a plea to petrol stations on social media to help key workers get fuel after his staff experienced problems.

He said the 35 carers he employs, who visit vulnerable adults in the area, are getting caught up in queues at the pumps and such moves by petrol stations could prove life-saving to those with care needs.

"Carers are being late for visits and that's what we don't want," he said.

"Ultimately people, if they don't receive visits, will go without essential care, the personal care, the medication that they need to take."