What’s in a name? Phil McCann lightens the nation’s mood

A BBC reporter called Phil McCann delighted social media users on Saturday after he was sent to cover the UK’s petrol shortage.

Reporting from a BP petrol station in Stockport, which had run out of petrol, people were quick to point out that he was clearly the best man for the job, since his name sounds like “fill my can”.

Phil McCann soon began trending on Twitter, with one social media user saying: “Phil McCann! On fuel shortage story. @TheSimpsons couldn’t have written anything funnier than that. Well played #BBCBreakfast.”

Another said: “There is only one BBC reporter to do the story of panic-buying of fuel. And it is Phil McCann.”

Another person on Twitter pointed out that McCann was now part of a special club – alongside the BBC weather presenter Sara Blizzard and PC Rob Banks from Avon and Somerset police.

Reacting on Twitter, McCann said: “It’s like being back in year 9!”

A shortage in lorry drivers has disrupted supply chains, affecting food and petrol deliveries and causing queues at petrol stations across the country.

Lincolnshire police on Saturday urged drivers to be “sensible” about filling up at petrol stations after long queues built up around the region, and Bedfordshire police reminded motorists to leave space for emergency vehicles while queueing.

The president of a motoring association said on Saturday panic buying rather than supply chain issues was driving the shortage of fuel in some places.

The EG Group imposed a limit of £30 per customer at its 389 petrol stations on Friday, while pumps at some BP, Esso, Tesco and Shell forecourts were closed because of outstanding deliveries.

BP said that about 20 of its 1,200 petrol forecourts were closed because of a lack of available fuel, with 50-100 sites affected by the loss of at least one grade of fuel.