Anger grows over fuel prices

Villagers intercepted the tanker from Faiyum and forced it to unload its cargo at the rail station to serve the surrounding area.

It comes after thousands of brick workers blocked railway tracks from Cairo to Beni Suef for two days over the weekend in protest at the rising prices.

The government cut industrial fuel oil subsidies last week, prompting protests by quarry and brick factory workers.

Egypt has been gripped by unrest in recent days, partially because of public discontent with new government measures designed to deal with a crippling budget deficit.

Opponents accuse President Mohammed Morsi of failing to tackle Egypt's myriad problems.

Khaled el-Hawari, a marketing executive in one of the brick factories, said that industrial fuel oil prices had increased by 50 per cent, threatening the business and the livelihood of hundreds of workers who could be laid off.

"No-one is listening to us," he said. "We plan to protest outside the cabinet next."

Hundreds of workers in a quarry in the province of Kafr el-Sheikh briefly stormed the local government building on Sunday, forcing its staff to evacuate.

The workers were demanding permanent employment in the factory.

They chanted against the recently appointed local governor, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.