MOTORISTS in South Lakeland could soon face a return to the fuel protests which saw petrol pumps in the area run dry last September, reports Justin Hawkins.

The threat of further protest action comes from the self-styled People's Fuel Lobby - a collaboration of farmers and hauliers whose businesses have been hard hit by steep increases in the price of diesel over the past 12 months.

The PFL says the Government has not done enough to ease the burden of fuel duty and continues to fill its coffers with motorists money.

Paul Proctor, a self-employed haulier from Askam-in-Furness, was one of the drivers who blockaded a Shell fuel depot on the Lightburn Industrial estate during last September's protests, said he would do the same again.

Mr Proctor saw his fuel bill rise by £3,500 between 1999 and 2000, thanks mainly to increases in fuel duty.

The Government's plan to cut road tax announced after the last protest will save him around £1,300, but Mr Proctor says he is still well out of pocket and would take a stand again if need be.

"If it comes around again I would have to stand my ground like last time," he said.

Andrew Spence, of Farmers For Action and PFL, co-ordinated last year's fuel protests in the north west and north east.

He refused to rule out the possibility of further action in the near future.

"We have contacted certain co-ordinators in certain areas and at the we are taking stock of the situation"

Mr Spence said the government was taking more money than ever from road users because prices at the pumps had remained high as the oil companies' failed to reflect a 30 per cent drop in the world price of crude oil.

As well as coining in its revenue from fuel duty, Mr Spence said the Government also stood to gain from taxing the soaring profits of the fuel companies like Shell and BP.

The threat of further protest comes in the week when a well known filling station at Broughton-in-Furness was forced to close because of cut-throat competition from supermarkets.

The 40-year-old Market Street Filling Station, one of only two garages in the village, is running on empty, said owner Howard Procter.

The station will close as soon as he has got rid of his hardware and stock of Calor gas and he is displaying a sign on his forecourt saying: "The multiples have beaten us, we are unable to carry on as a viable business."

"We cannot buy fuel at the same prices as the supermarkets let alone sell it," said Mr Procter.

"It would be cheaper for us to go to Asda and put it on the back of a pick-up.

"If we keep going we are going to end up going bust.

"It's a sad day," he said, "I don't like to fail - when I take something on like to succeed - and I feel as though I have failed."