Meet Britain's 25th richest man: the lawnmower-collector and reclusive figure behind our latest fuel crisis

The man at the centre of Britain's fuel crisis is a reclusive billionaire known as "Dr No".

Jim Ratcliffe, 55, earned the Bond villain nickname from union chiefs at the Grangemouth refinery in Scotland because of his constant refusal to compromise.

In just nine years, Mr Ratcliffe has built up his company, Ineos, from nothing to become the third-largest chemicals firm in the world – yet he remains a largely secretive figure.

Experts say his group, which is valued at £5billion, has transformed the energy sector by buying up unwanted plants from industrial giants such as BP, then slashing costs to maximise profits.

Mr Ratcliffe owns two-thirds of the company's shares, giving him a personal fortune of around £3.5billion and making him the 25th richest man in Britain.

But his tough approach has sparked conflict with unions who fear long-standing agreements are being torn up.

It is Mr Ratcliffe's refusal to negotiate in their dispute over pension rights that prompted union bosses to call a 48-hour strike at his refinery in Grangemouth, starting at 6am today.

The industrial action could result in the biggest fuel shortages since the petrol price protests in 2000. Last night, drivers were panic-buying, ignoring Government assurances, and causing some petrol stations to run dry.

Some garages hiked their prices up to £1.10 a litre (£4.99 a gallon).

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Hidden from view: Mr Ratcliffe's vast, gated £6million estate in Hampshire

The crisis is set to worsen after senior union sources revealed they plan a further two-day walkout a week tomorrow.

The workers do not need to be balloted again because their previous vote gives the union a mandate for another strike, providing they give seven days' notice.

Mr Ratcliffe is obsessively secretive, but his staff say he can be eccentric, sometimes calling breakfast meetings then keeping managers waiting while he disappears for a jog, returning to 'bark orders' while still in his running gear.

He also has a curious passion for sit-on lawnmowers, which he is believed to collect.

Yesterday he was not to be seen at his gated £6million estate near Beaulieu in Hampshire. The property, which boasts stables, a swimming pool and tennis courts, is hidden from view along a half-mile private drive.

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Locals say Mr Ratcliffe often comes and goes by helicopter and is rarely seen in the village.

He is separated from his wife Amanda, whom he married in 1985. She now lives in a farmhouse near Salisbury, Wiltshire, where she owns a horse riding company.

They have two sons, Samuel, 21 and George, 19. Mr Ratcliffe graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from Birmingham University and spent 15 years as a humble chemical engineer.

But he then developed a taste for business, acquiring an MBA from the London Business School. In 1989, he was appointed a director of Advent International, an American private equity group, and became steeped in the world of finance.

Since launching Ineos in 1998, he has completed a series of audacious takeovers, then slashed jobs and reformed pension schemes.

Some deals have been controversial. After buying ICI's chlorine business at Runcorn, Cheshire, in 2001, Ineos was awarded £50million of taxpayers' money to keep the plant open.

In March last year, Ineos received £9million from the Scottish Executive to safeguard 410 jobs at Grangemouth.

Three years ago, Mr Ratcliffe bought BP's entire petrochemicals division, including Grangemouth, for £6billion, quadrupling his company's value overnight.

But Ineos's rapid growth has caused it to take on £9billion of debt, including a £430million 'black hole' in its pensions fund.

After the purchase of Grangemouth, Mr Ratcliffe announced he was phasing out BP's generous non-contributory, final salary pension scheme for new employees, sparking union fears over the pensions of existing workers.

Shadow Business Secretary Alan Duncan said last night: "Gordon Brown's destruction of employee pensions has put strikes back on the agenda for Britain. This is one of his particularly ugly chickens coming home to roost."