Seven tankers carrying 65,000 tonnes of fuel from Sweden and the Netherlands were on their way to Scotland last night to maintain fuel supplies during the strike at Grangemouth oil refinery.

Production stopped at Scotland’s only oil refinery - the third biggest in Britain - at 6am yesterday when around 100 workers finished their shift.

BP has also shut its Forties pipeline system, which is powered by the plant, 25 miles to the west of Edinburgh. As the pipeline carries about 30 per cent of Britain’s daily oil output from more than 70 oilfields in the North Sea, the industrial action could cost Britain up to £50 million per day in lost revenue.

But despite predictions of panic-buying at the pumps there was little evidence of fuel shortages after 1,200 workers began their two-day strike.

According to figures issued by Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, at midday yesterday only five petrol stations out of total of 956 ran out of stocks yesterday, while a further 70 had problems supplying some types of fuel.

The high political stakes in the Grangemough dispute were underlined when it emerged that the First Minister has sought a meeting today with Gordon Brown in Downing Street.

Mr Salmond is in London for a series of meetings, including one with John Hutton, the Business Secretary.

If the Nationalist leader does sit down with the Labour leader it will be the first time that the two politicians have held face-to-face talks since Mr Salmond took power at Holyrood.

Downing Street was unable last night to confirm that a meeting was scheduled but sources close to the First Minister indicated that it was merely a case of agreeing a time.

The strike was called after the Unite union and Ineos, the plant’s owners, failed to settle a row over the company’s proposals to close the final-salary pension scheme to new staff.

Ineos has insisted that the noncontributory pension scheme, which accounts for a quarter of payroll costs, is not sustainable now that people are living longer.

Yesterday there was little sign of the two sides coming to an agreement, but each claimed that they were keen to resolve the issue.

Tom Crotty, the chief executive of Ineos, said in a BBC interview that the company had done all that it could to prevent the industrial action.

“We have never left the table,” he said. “Our approach has been to make concession after concession. What this is about is people who do not even work for our company today.”

In an apparent retreat from a previous warning that it would take three weeks for the Grangemouth site to become fully operational again, Mr Crotty said that he expected to have the plant up and running in days.

Phil McNulty, of Unite, said he hoped that fresh talks would be held when the dispute ended and he denied reports that the union was seeking to escalate the industrial action.

“What we want to concentrate on is getting the refinery open as soon as possible,” he said. He added that he hoped the two-day walkout would give the sides a “pause for reflection”.

Industry representatives urged British ministers to intervene in the dispute to prevent further disruption.

Malcolm Webb, of Oil & Gas UK, said: “The Government has got to get these two parties together.

“This is affecting over 70 oilfields and 80 companies whose operations are nothing to do with Grangemouth. Worse than that, it is having an impact on the country of £50 million a day – it is really out of proportion.”

Mr Salmond also called on the two sides to resume talks to end the deadlock. “What must happen now is that the two parties engage in discussions to resolve the dispute as quickly as possible.”

The united front among politicians also began to crack as the fallout from the strike became apparent.

Nicol Stephen, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, called on the Scottish Executive to set out its contingency measures if the impact of the strike grows. He said: “It’s time to explain [to motorists] what will happen next, that priority will be given to doctors and nurses and road hauliers.”

But the First Minister accused Mr Stephen of creating unnecessary panic: “As my granny used to say, ‘If you can’t help don’t hinder’. Nicol Stephen certainly can’t help so he shouldn’t hinder.”

The Scottish Executive has urged people to act responsibly during the strike by using public transport and not filling their tanks to the brim.

The 65,000 tonnes of fuel that are coming to Scotland from Gothenburg, Amsterdam and Rotterdam are expected to last for at least ten days.

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