Ananova:

Protests by fuel tax protesters and pro-hunt supporters forced Prime Minister Tony Blair and John Prescott to abandon celebrations at a Chinese restaurant to mark the Deputy Prime Minister's 30 years as an MP.

A Downing Street spokesman: "Due to a combination of hauliers and pro-fox-hunting protesters blocking the roads leading to the restaurant, the Prime Minister and John Prescott have not gone to the restaurant."

The pair were due to join many guests marking the 30th anniversary of Mr Prescott's Parliamentary career with a meal at the restaurant in Hull.

Downing Street said Mr Blair's strong view was that whatever people felt about fuel prices, they would not sympathise with blockades cutting off petrol supplies.

A Number 10 spokesman said: "During the day the Prime Minister has spoken to John Prescott, Home Secretary Jack Straw, Chancellor Gordon Brown and Trade Secretary Stephen Byers.

"The whole of the Government has sent out a strong signal to the police that they have their support and the full backing of the Prime Minister and other ministers to keep fuel supplies moving and that the public can be assured that their supplies of fuel will be moved and that panic buying is unnecessary.

"It is the Prime Minister's strong view that whatever people feel about the price of petrol, and he understands what they feel, he does not believe public sympathy is with this kind of protest."

Downing Street sources also disclosed that there had been talks between the Government, oil companies and the police.

The sources stressed that while it remained the case that only a minority of petrol stations were affected, "all the decisions that need to be taken have been taken today in order deal with the supply of fuel".