The BBC has denied its coverage of the fuel crisis amounted to scaremongering or encouraged viewers to panic buy.
The corporation hit back after receiving complaints from people who felt their reporting on the petrol supply problems led to consumers heading out to fillings stations, resulting in the issue worsening.
‘This is an important story of national significance and interest to audiences,’ a BBC spokesperson said.
‘We have reported on the advice from fuel operators and the government not to panic buy. We have stressed that there is no shortage of fuel at refineries and highlighted that the key issue is the lack of tanker drivers to deliver it to garage forecourts.
‘We do not agree that this amounts to scaremongering.’
The spokesperson added: ‘BBC News has reported developments in this story accurately and responsibly and continues to do so as events unfold.’
The BBC’s rebuttal comes after many voiced their anger at the corporation’s coverage on social media.
‘Stop reporting this and then the panic buying will stop, then things will return to normal,’ slammed one. ‘Wouldn’t be in this situation if you media lot had kept ya incorrectly reporting gobs shut.’
Echoing a similar sentiment, another vented: ‘@BBCNews reporting this morning that the “petrol crisis continues across the uk” … There isn’t a petrol crisis you stupid scaremongering muppets.’
Last week, Treasury Chief Secretary Simon Clarke said the UK is now in a sitatuion where more fuel is being delivered to petrol stations than is being sold so that crisis is now absolutely back under control.
‘That is something that will continue to ease if people just return to normal buying habits,’ he told Sky News.
AA president Edmund King said: ‘Most drivers have managed to find fuel, but might have had to travel to several filling stations or to queue.
‘A large proportion of drivers changed their refuelling habits over the last five days, and this should now allow forecourts to restock and find their feet again.’
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