Shortages of workers in the wake of Brexit and the COVID pandemic have sown disarray through some sectors of the world's fifth largest economy, disrupting deliveries of fuel and medicines and even raising fears of a mass cull of livestock.

British ministers have for days insisted the crisis is abating or even over, though retailers said more than 2,000 gas stations were dry and Reuters reporters across London and southern England said dozens of pumps were still closed.

Queues of often irate drivers snaked back from those gas stations that were still open in London.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents 65 percent of Britain's 8,380 forecourts, said members reported on Thursday that 27 percent of pumps were dry, 21 percent had just one fuel type in stock and 52 percent had enough petrol and diesel.

"This is running out quicker than usual due to unprecedented demand," said PRA Executive Director Gordon Balmer.

Britain's fuel crisis is stabilizing though demand is still high, Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said on Friday.

"The situation is stabilizing across the country albeit there's obviously still high demand for fuel," Malthouse told Sky News. "Let's hope that over the next few days that eases as tanks fill."

After a shortage of truckers triggered panic buying at gas stations, farmers are now warning that a shortage of butchers and abattoir workers could force a mass cull of up to 150,000 pigs.

Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers Union, said a cull of up to 150,000 pigs was "potentially a week, ten days away".

Meanwhile, the National Pig Association urged the country's retailers to continue buying local pork and not cheaper European Union products on Friday, warning that many producers would go bust if they were not properly supported.

An acute shortage of butchers and slaughterers in the meat processing industry has left processors operating at a 25 percent drop in their capacity, meaning tens of thousands of pigs are being left on farms and are facing an imminent cull.

"We are also aware that some retailers, who have to date been very supportive of their British supply chains, are now considering moving over to EU pork because it is much cheaper," the association said in an open letter to retailers.

"This would make our situation so much worse to the point that many more pig producers, in addition to those responsible for the 27,500 sows we already know about, would have no choice but to exit the industry."

The labor shortage in the industry has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and Britain's post-Brexit immigration policy, which has restricted the flow of East European workers.

The pig association said that despite attempts to persuade the government to ease immigration rules, it appeared to have reached an impasse.

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