PANIC buying has hit supermarket shelves in Bolton and a major bus operator has drastically cut back services as the fuel crisis continues.

As fears grow that fresh food supplies could dry up shoppers flooded superstores around the town snapping up extra supplies of bread, milk, fruit and vegetables.

A spokesman for Asda on Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge confirmed that trade had been much busier than a normal week day afternoon.

He said: "There is no doubt that we have been much busier than normal. Everybody seemed to be stocking up on the perishable items like bread, milk, fruit and veg."

He added: "At the moment we have no problems with our deliveries coming through, although the orders were made based on normal shopping patterns, not on the type of demand we have seen now."

Major bus operator Stagecoach Ribble has announced that from today a number of Bolton services will only run between 9am-3pm.

They are the 125 Bolton to Preston, 225 Clitheroe to Bolton, 478 Bolton to Bury, B4 Bolton to Oldhams Estate and B6 Bolton to Ladybridge.

All other local Stagecoach routes will not run at all after 7pm.

On Saturday and Sunday there will be no services at all. Bus routes operated by First Manchester are expected to have enough fuel supplies until Friday and a spokesman for the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive said local train services should remain unaffected for "the next couple of days."

Private hire taxi services could also be forced off the road soon.

A spokesman for Telecars said: "We are the same as everyone else, we don't have any special supplies. At the moment we are taking it day by day and not fixing any bookings more than 24 hours in advance."

However, staff at Bank Street taxis said most of their fleet had been filled up just before petrol supplies ran out and they expected they would have enough fuel until at least the weekend.

Funeral directors around the town look set to have enough fuel in their fleets until next week.

But most driving instructors around Bolton have been forced to cancel lessons and many people due to take their tests this week will have to cancel.

Instructor Dave Thomas of the Association of United Driving Instructors said: "The Driving Standards Agency has informed us that cancellations during the petrol crisis will not have to pay the normal fee for booking a new test. But pupils are very upset and will probably have to wait at least four or five weeks for another chance."

At the moment the local haulage trade is managing to keep going despite the fuel shortages.

Warren Davenport, managing director of Lancashire Freight Services Ltd in Kearsley, said reserves of diesel at the firm meant work for regular customers could continue.

He said: "All but the most distant long haul trip to the north of Scotland or down to Cornwall is still possible for us."