AS the fourth day of the oil refinery blockade now threatens to dry up every single petrol pump in Britain, the point has now been reached when the protesters must realise that they have made their point -- and back off even though their cause is just.

Otherwise, the tide of public opinion, at present overwhelmingly in sympathy with this revolt against the too-high cost of fuel, could turn against them.

For while motorists and transport users are prepared to suffer inconvenience for the sake of getting the message across to the tax-grabbing government, they will not condone the country being paralysed.

And that is truly in the offing if the dispute goes on -- people unable to work will lose pay, businesses will shut, the economy will plunge and even lives will be put at risk.

Public support for this protest would vanish at a stroke because it had been taken too far. Worse, there is a real risk of civil unrest if the government resorts to or is driven to using troops or tough police tactics to smash the blockades.

But if, now that their point has been made, common sense and restraint are now called for on the protesters' part to defuse a crisis and prevent a backlash of public opinion, so, too, is the right response required from the government.

It, after all, has provoked this protest and landed itself in its biggest political mess since coming to power -- by arrogantly refusing to pay heed to the already-immense public anger at being forced to pay the highest price in Europe for fuel.

As millions of petrol gauges creep towards 'Empty,' it has arguably only today or tomorrow left to resolve this emergency.

Tax-wise it can easily afford to meet the demands for a cut in the price of fuel. Politically and for the rule of law, it has less scope -- and needs a shrewd and sensible backing-off response from the pickets to respond with the least harm to either.

And so does the country in order to be spared an unnecessary disaster.