Nationwide fuel protests could face the risk of losing public support if they continue to block supply chains around the country.

The news comes as there is expected to be widespread disruption to supply chains for supermarkets and businesses if protests continue in the coming days.

Chris Smith from Perennial freight said that if fuel is at risk, there will be an attitude change.

“I think you can see a little bit of a mood change in the last 24 hours that it’s now starting to hit people , who are now realising that they’re being affected by this.”

“They know they’ve a tank of diesel or a petrol in their car, but that’s only going to last them for a while and that’s when the panic sets in.”

Risk of food supply issues looms

With supply chains being hit particularly hard as freight has ground to a halt, there are concerns that food stocks and product supply could be harmed if the disruption continues.

Smith said that if this does end up being the case, the public opinion of the protests would change rapidly.

“I think people will start to change the mood, particularly when they see their cupboards and their fridges run dry and they’ve no diesel or petrol in their car. You know, normally people get upset about that.”

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