* Gas stations run dry in major British cities
* Trucker shortage strains British economy
* Britain relaxes competition rules
(Recasts headline and lead)
By Guy Faulconbridge and Alistair Smout
LONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Up to 90% of British fuel
stations ran dry across major English cities on Monday after
panic buying deepened a supply chain crisis triggered by a
shortage of truckers that retailers are warning could batter the
world's fifth-largest economy.
A dire post-Brexit shortage of truck drivers in Britain has
sown chaos through supply chains in everything from food to
fuel, raising the spectre of disruptions and price rises in the
run up to Christmas.
Just days after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government
spent millions of pounds to avert a food shortage due to a spike
in prices for natural gas and its byproduct, carbon dioxide,
ministers repeatedly asked people to refrain from panic buying.
But queues of dozens of cars snaked back from petrol
stations across the land on Sunday, swallowing up supplies and
forcing many gas stations to simply close. Pumps across British
cities were either closed or had signs saying fuel was
unavailable, Reuters reporters said.
"Some of our members, large groups with a portfolio of
sites, report 50% are dry as of yesterday, some even report as
many as 90% are dry as of yesterday," Brian Madderson, chairman
of the Petrol Retailers Association told Sky.
The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) represents
independent fuel retailers who now account for 65% of all UK
forecourts.
"So you can see it is quite acute," Madderson said. "Monday
morning is going to start pretty dry."
BP said on Sunday that nearly a third of its British
petrol stations had run out of the two main grades of fuel as
panic buying forced the government to suspend competition laws
and allow firms to work together to ease shortages.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the suspension would
allow firms to share information and coordinate their response.
"This step will allow government to work constructively with
fuel producers, suppliers, hauliers and retailers to ensure that
disruption is minimised as far as possible," the business
department said in a statement.
The government on Sunday announced a plan to issue temporary
visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers.
But business leaders have warned the government's plan is a
short-term fix and will not solve an acute labour shortage.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Alistair Smout and
Catherine Evans)