Staff at the Matlock Mercury received a tip-off from a reader on Tuesday lunchtime that one local petrol station still had unleaded petrol – albeit at 99.9p a litre!

So, a good story, and a good chance for editor Don Hale to fill up his car’s near-empty tank.

Bizarrely, as Don and reporter Gareth Davies arrived at the station, Peak Practice were filming just around the corner – in Don’s former house!

Back at the pumps, Don and Gareth were asked by a confused petrol station attendant whether the current fuel shortage would lead to a third world war. The worker then added, for good measure: “Why do you always take photographs of blue cars?”

Good question. One for the photographers perhaps.

Meanwhile, the reporters told HoldTheFrontPage, there are problems galore at the local supermarkets, where essential foodstuffs are being rationed. A delivery of bread at a local store led to a scramble for the shelves, with people fighting to get to the prized loaves.

“Unfortunately, the fridge is almost out of milk (as are the local supermarkets), so the newsroom’s regular hourly cuppa could soon be critically affected,” said one.

In the weekly paper’s latest edition on Thursday the whole of Page one will be devoted to the crisis, with a all the information about what’s happening in the Derbyshire Dales and Peaks.