Oil companies breathed a sigh of relief last night as nationwide protests against rising fuel prices faded into nothing.

Critics said yesterday's planned demonstrations at refineries turned into a farce as journalists outnumbered the campaigners angry at the spiralling cost of petrol.

But one of the prime movers behind the latest crusade insisted it was not a flop and refused to take the blame for fuelling fears of shortages and panic at the pumps.

Hundreds of people had been expected to turn out at sites across the country, but the biggest protest stretched to little more than a dozen people outside the Shell refinery in Jarrow, South Tyneside.

But County Durham haulier and farmer Andrew Spence, who organised the demonstration, claimed it was a success and that it was never intended to be a mass protest.

Ray Holloway, from the Petrol Retailers Association, said the low turn-out was "really rather predictable".

He said: "Motorists simply must accept that there is going to be no disruption to their petrol and diesel supplies.

"They will only exacerbate the problem by panic buying - it is self-inflicted misery.

"The disruption was caused by messages that occurred earlier in the week which led to panic buying."

Chris Hunt, from the UK Petroleum Industry Association, said the protest had proved "thankfully amazingly quiet".

And George Cowcher, chief executive of the North East Chamber of Commerce, told of his relief that the demonstrations had been considerably less disruptive than five years ago.

He said: "The Fuel Lobby has achieved its aim of highlighting its deep worry over the level of duty on fuel.

"Meanwhile, the muted protests at various depots and refineries have had little direct impact. It is business as usual and firms will be grateful for that."

At 8am yesterday, members of the media covering the protest still outnumbered the dozen or so protestors in Jarrow.

Mr Spence, from Consett, who was a prime mover in the 2000 protests with the People's Fuel Lobby, had arrived at 6am, and said: "I would rather there was just a handful of us.

"If we hadn't said that we would be returning to the refineries, the media wouldn't have highlighted the issue as it has done.

"I doubt that the Government would have given us the 1.2p freeze in duty proposed for October. I like to think that we have achieved something this week."

The protestors at Jarrow included farmers, a roofing contractor and even a blacksmith, who said they feared fuel prices would see them going out of business.

By mid-morning, HGV driver John Stewart boosted the protest by bringing its first placard, which read: "Unfair diesel tax = high shop prices".

The 54-year-old made the 40-mile trip from Hartlepool after hearing on the radio that numbers were low.

Mr Stewart said: "My brother was self-employed and high fuel prices sent him to the wall. How many more people have lost their homes through this?

"The Government is ripping ordinary people off, they are not listening to us."

Delivery truck driver Eric Dews, 48, from Burnopfield, County Durham, said: "I have been self-employed for 22 years and I am finding it more difficult than I ever have due to the high price of fuel. I am slowly going out of business."

Mr Spence refused to be blamed for the panic buying of the last few days and said the Government should take responsibility for suggesting there could be rationing.

He said: "Today has been a success. We never said it was going to be a big protest. It is the media who have put this circus together.

"We have made our point. We have got the Government on the back foot over the fuel issue."