The government has been accused of being "intent on creating a crisis" by representatives of independent petrol forecourt operators after sales of petrol shot up 45% on Tuesday.
Brian Madderson, the petrol chairman of the Retail Motor Industry Federation, told BBC Radio 4's World At One: "This government appears to be intent on creating a crisis out of a serious concern.
"We would have told them - had we been engaged with them - that there are now 6,000 fewer forecourts than there were at the time of the fuel blockade in 2000, and over and above that, our retailers are struggling financially.
"Volumes are down, margins are down and cashflow is very tight so they have probably got the lowest stock levels in their tanks underground at forecourts that they have ever had."
It came after Francis Maude was told to withdraw advice that motorists stockpile petrol on "jerrycans" in preparation for a strike by fuel tanker drivers.
Driver seen queuing for petrol and diesel at a supermarket service station in Hampshire on Wednesday
The Cabinet Office minister said on Wednesday morning that "a bit of extra fuel in a jerrycan is a sensible precaution to take".
However the Fire Brigades Union said advising motorists to store cans of petrol in their garages was wrong as it could be illegal as well as dangerous.
The union warned it would "massively increase" fire and explosion risk and the public should be discouraged from doing so.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: "This is not sensible advice and people should be discouraged from doing so. The general public does not properly understand the fire and explosion risk of storing fuel, even if it was done sensibly.
"Those without garages may be tempted to store fuel in the home. In the event of a fire in the house or a neighbouring property, it would be disastrous.
People queue to buy petrol at Morrisons petrol station in Belle Vale, Liverpool
"It is already against the law to store more than 10 litres of petrol in two five-litre plastic containers in the home. As that amounts to little more than a third of a tank in most cars, the advice is of little practical help.
"There is a real danger the public will start storing fuel in inappropriate ways if the government is encouraging panic-buying and storage. This advice is wrong and must be withdrawn."
The government was also criticised by the South Wales Fire & Rescue Service, who said they did "not advise storing petrol in a jerrycan in domestic garages".
Labour has accused the government of spreading panic as it moves to distance itself from any industrial action by unions.
"It’s the height of irresponsibility for Downing Street to give the impression that people should be panic-buying. They should be using all their efforts to get a settlement," a party spokesperson said.
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