London - The British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown, yesterday warned oil companies that he was monitoring the price of fuel following large falls in the price of crude oil, Rachel Donnelly reports.
In an interview in the London Times Mr Brown said he was monitoring the price of fuel paid by consumers after concerns that the oil companies were not passing on reductions in world oil prices. BP reduced the price of fuel by 1p during the day and other oil firms were expected to follow with similar reductions.
Earlier, Mr David Hanley, one of the leaders of last year's fuel protests, said demonstrations against the cost of fuel were back on. About 30 demonstrators angry at the price of fuel at the pump picketed the Manchester Fuels Terminal at Trafford Park in Manchester and there were similar protests at the Jarrow Terminal, Tyneside and at the Total Fuel Depot in Leeds. However, there was no sign yesterday that the protests were set to escalate or of panic-buying.