An ambulance worker who had to work a 999 shift while running low on fuel has criticised panic buyers who stormed petrol stations at the weekend.
Becky Hough, 24, was driving around for two days and feared the ambulance would run out of fuel while responding to emergency calls.
The apprentice emergency care assistant tweeted about her ordeal after finding long queues on forecourts and petrol stations already sold out.
She wrote: "To everyone that panicked and went to fuel their cars when it wasn't needed, well done.
"On shift on an emergency ambulance, low on fuel and struggling to find somewhere that isn't sold out."
While some people showed sympathy, others attacked her saying her ambulance has a big fuel tank and she should not have got so low.
Others even said emergency services should not be using normal petrol stations but should have their own pumps.
Becky, of Basingstoke, Hampshire, works for Bristol Ambulance Emergency Medical Services, which provides independent ambulances to private patients, private health care providers and NHS.
She started looking for fuel on Friday and was only finally able to fill her tank on Sunday afternoon when a BP garage let her use their reserves.
But when she finally got some, she said was verbally abused and sworn at by some angry motorists.
Becky said: "Finally. A BP garage that has let us use the reserves.
"However whilst fuelling we received verbal abuse from the public driving past, horns being honked and many hand gesture."
Even on Twitter, some people abused her, with a person writing: "That vehicle must get about 500 miles on a full tank, how do you even get close to running out of fuel?"
Becky replied: "Due to the demand on the ambulance service at the moment, we are spread far and wide.
"We could be the closest ambulance to a call, yet still be 30 plus miles away.
"We start every shift with a full tank of fuel. Yesterday we averaged 300 miles in a 12 hour shift."
One more person wrote: "I'm not in any way disputing what you are saying.
"But in 35 years of driving I've never seen an ambulance, police car or fire engine filling up at a petrol station."
Another added: "Not defending the panickers here, but ambulances ought to have their own petrol stations/reserves."
But some people defended her, as one commented: "This is the fault of the Government.
"Emergency vehicles used to have their own fuel pumps at home stations but the Government decided to make them queue like the plebs to save a few quid allegedly."
One more wrote: "I thought petrol stations had to save an emergency supply for emergency services. Is that not real?"
Another one tweeted: "What? That's terrible. I'm so sorry, but I appreciate you and your colleagues. Thank you."
It comes as the Petrol Retailers Association warned that British petrol and diesel stations are running dry across the land, with some big groups in English cities reporting 50% to 90% of pumps were dry.
A dire shortage of truck drivers in Britain has triggered panic buying of fuel in some English cities, with queues of cars snaking back from gas stations, many of which have run dry or simply closed.
Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association told Sky: "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.
"So you can see it is quite acute. 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.
