The farmers and truck drivers who almost brought Britain to a halt reignite campaign

The men at the forefront of the fuel protests are a mixture of disgruntled farmers, road hauliers and, in one case, a Tory politician. Probably the best-known and most outspoken is David Handley, 52, who came to prominence shortly before the fuel protests in 2000 when he helped organise demonstrations at a supermarket distribution depot against rising milk prices.

The men at the forefront of the fuel protests are a mixture of disgruntled farmers, road hauliers and, in one case, a Tory politician. Probably the best-known and most outspoken is David Handley, 52, who came to prominence shortly before the fuel protests in 2000 when he helped organise demonstrations at a supermarket distribution depot against rising milk prices.

In 1999, the dairy farmer from Llangovan, Monmouth, was among the founders of the Farmers for Action (FFA) group - of which he is the chairman - that orchestrated many of the previous fuel demonstrations. He was among a dozen farmers, frustrated at the National Farmers Union and at politicians for seemingly not listening to their grievances, and decided direct action was the way forward.

His actions appear to stem from failing yields at his 88-acre farm, where the turnover fell from £115,000 a year to just £47,000 after the BSE crisis. He also took up the mantle for the hauliers and, for a while, became chairman of another organisation, People's Fuel Lobby.

Several of the leaders, including Mr Handley, faced accusations during the blockades of being politically motivated, suggestions that resurfaced yesterday with news that Michael Howard had given his support to peaceful protest. Mr Howard was no doubt mindful of the knock-on effects of the blockade tactics used against fuel stations and depots, which saw his party surge in the polls and the Government postpone a planned fuel tax increase.

Extremist groups, such as the far-right British National Party, tried to hijack events of 2000. The BNP advertised the protests on their website.

Mr Handley claims the farmer networks established during the 2000 blockades were still active and could be mobilised. He said yesterday that potential demonstrators would be meeting at the weekend to decide on action.

The other main figure from the 2000 actions was Brynle Williams, a sheep and cattle farmer and a founding member of Farmers for Action, with a 200-acre spread in Cilcain, north Wales. Since May 2003, he has been a Conservative member of the Welsh Assembly and is the party's farming and rural development spokesman. He is also chairman of Flintshire County Farmers Union of Wales.

He was a figurehead for the fuel protesters after he spoke for those picketing the Stanlow oil refinery in Cheshire that became the epicentre of the nationwide blockade. Mr Williams has said he would not get personally involved in new direct action but is supporting a demonstration in south Wales on Saturday. He said: "Providing it's legal and they don't do anything foolish, they have a democratic right to protest."

The two men fell out over how the protest should be handled. At the time, Mr Handley claimed that Mr Williams was "in limbo" and had no followers. For a week in September 2000 the nation came to a near- standstill as protesters blocked the flow of fuel. Truckers and farmers blockaded refineries, petrol stations ran dry and panic buying was widespread.

Mr Williams led a convoy to blockade Shell's Stanlow oil refinery near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. Similar scenes came at the Texaco refinery at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, and lorries in Gateshead staged a go-slow protest. Within 24 hours, petrol stations started running dry. Huge queues built up on forecourts and many filling stations had to close.

But after concessions and emergency talks Mr Williams announced the Stanlow blockade was to end. Demonstrators at other sites followed suit.