LANCASTER'S MP Hilton Dawson has called on the Prime Minister to talk sensibly about last week's fuel crisis.

He has written to Tony Blair urging him to talk with the road-based industries about all the issues surrounding fuel taxation and to not make new powers to put down the protests.

Hilton said: "I am pleased that road fuel protesters called off their blockades before great damage was caused. I think that they should be given credit for that as well as for the fact that their actions were peaceful.

"This is a free society and people should be able to make peaceful protests when they feel their livelihoods are threatened."

He added: "It is essential that the Government recognises that protests over road fuel had the backing of the large majority of people and that one of their major concerns was the apparent unfairness of fuel taxation in comparison with other European countries."