MOST of the area’s petrol stations ran dry over the weekend, despite a tail-off in demand as the Easter strike threat dissolved.

Days of panic-buying meant stocks were exhausted in many places, creating queues at those pumps still open.

A spokeswoman for BP said demand had eased and suppliers were working around the clock to get deliveries through for this morning.

Police asked Texaco by Bournemouth Asda to temporarily shut at 11.10am on Sunday due to traffic concerns but there was no repeat of last week’s string of closures.

However drivers still reported queuing cars at a “chaotic” Sainsbury at Alder Road in Poole from 6am onwards on Saturday before it ran dry.

Ruth Lester, 29, from Wallisdown in Bournemouth said: “I drove past seven empty stations on Saturday.”

Kevin Knight, manager of the fully stocked Windmill station in Salisbury Road Ringwood, said: “It was busy considering it was a weekend but nothing compared to the previous couple of days.”

Tesco station on Poole Road at Branksome had closed on Friday night amid “abysmal” queues stretching back to County Gates, but reopened on Saturday.

Supermarkets generally appeared better stocked than small stations and some had marshals to direct drivers. Friday evening appeared to have been the peak of the petrol chaos. Terry Harvey, 29, from Boscombe said he had waited one-and-a-half hours at Castle Lane Tesco.

Prices reached 149.9 pence a litre at a Texaco in Stoborough near Wareham.

Manager Michael Brown, said: “It’s dictated by the price the petrol companies charge us. We won’t have another delivery until Tuesday now.”

Barrack Road Esso in Christchurch ran dry for a fourth day in a row at around 11am on Saturday, said staff, before reopening the next day.

One employee said: “The drivers follow a tanker when they see one go past.”The Esso on Bournemouth’s Holdenhurst Road ran on out on Thursday and was due to get a delivery last night, said supervisor Kelly Mellor, 24, from Charminster.

Blandford Road station in Hamworthy imposed a £30 limit.

The Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch conurbation seemed worse hit than surrounding areas. The Echo found only one self-confessed “panic buyer”. The 86-year-old from Branksome Park said: “I filled up with £18 at 8am on Thursday because I was going away. I did it in case they were on strike when I came back.”