York's petrol stations returned to near-normality today, after panic-buying returned briefly yesterday.

And a local radio station in Cardiff was today cleared of scaremongering after two presenters were accused of sparking the panic-buying.

Presenters on Red Dragon FM's drive time show mentioned rumours that another fuel blockade was looming.

But having examined the script, the Radio Authority, which is responsible for licensing and regulating independent stations, decided the station had not been guilty of scaremongering.

Fuel companies said yesterday's rumours of fresh fuel blockades had set them back a couple of days in their quest to get the whole country motoring.

A spokesman for the Inner Space Service Station, in Boroughbridge Road in York, said fuel was flowing normally today.

Fina in Tadcaster Road and Tyke in Clarence Street also said that they had plenty of petrol.

Fuel firms said tankers carrying new fuel supplies were continuing to roll out of refineries and depots without disruption.

But the panic-buying caused York a major headache yesterday evening.

The Asda filling station at Monks Cross had to be closed after it was besieged by motorist wanting to top up their tanks - often with very small amounts of petrol. The forecourt was reopened today after bosses were satisfied the panic-buying had ended.

On the Sainsbury's forecourt at Monks Cross, staff appealed to customers not to panic-buy as queues built up. Fuel was still available and regular deliveries were expected.

But at the Dragon service station, in Skipton Road, Harrogate, a flood of fuel-hungry motorists left the garage completely sold out of unleaded petrol by the evening and police had to be called in to manage the queues. Police were also called to the service station on the A64 near Tadcaster.

At the height of yesterday's panic-buying, a tanker trying to get fuel supplies to Rydal Garage, in York Road, Elvington, was blocked by large queues tailing back in both directions. Vehicles had to be moved to allow it in. Partner Michael Trueman said the rush had died down by 6pm.

Today, Texaco, which supplies Rydal Garage, dropped its prices to 79.9p per litre on unleaded, 85.9p on LRP and 83.9p per litre on derv - roughly 5p down on last week. Mr Trueman said: "We have had a lot of stick because people thought the high prices were down to us. It's good to see Texaco has brought the prices down now."

A Department of Trade spokesman said 90 per cent of Britain's 13,000 filling stations were now fully operational and added: "Things are gradually getting back to normal."