The West Midlands escaped largely without fuel shortages following four days of industrial action with striking tanker drivers set to return to work today, the AA has said.

That came as oil prices jumped to a new record near $140 a barrel on Monday.

Light, sweet crude for July delivery reached $139.89 on the New York commodity markets, a jump of more than $4 after the dollar weakened and a fire halted production on a North Sea platform.

The motoring group said, apart from scattered diesel shortages in Worcestershire on Saturday and Sunday, there were no reports at all of fuel shortages in the region,

Reduced supply caused by the strikes saw huge queues form outside petrol stations in some parts of the country.

Conditions were expected to improve this morning as 600 drivers were set to return to work at 6am after four days on strike.

Talks between the Unite union and haulage firms Hoyer and Suckling were held yesterday to try to hammer out a deal over a pay dispute, and were adjourned for further discussion today.

Hoyer and Suckling – which supply Shell garages with petrol – said it was encouraging to see the union take the unusual step of holding negotiations while the strike was still going on.

And Business Secretary John Hutton said: “This is an encouraging step forward. I hope it is possible for the two sides to reach an agreement so as to avoid any repetition of this weekend’s disruption. Although the strike has inconvenienced motorists they have shown commendable common-sense and restraint which has minimised its harmful impact.”

Unite warned there would be another four-day strike starting on Friday unless the dispute was resolved.

Shell said around 249 of its sites were affected by shortages to one or more of its fuel grades because of the strike yesterday, and the Government said a total of 647 petrol stations out of the UK’s 8,700, were affected. The AA said its patrol staff had reported widespread shortages and queuing at the pumps in the South West and south Wales particularly.