Queues had largely been cleared by Sunday evening but Kent Police warned that a combination of heightened security and the holiday rush could spell further delays for “weeks” to come.
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Police said the disruption was down to the volume of holiday traffic coupled with delays caused by heightened security at the border in the wake of terror attacks.
Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham said: “The government needs to get on the phone to the French authorities and get a grip on this outrageous situation”.
“The Port of Dover, which has no authority over French border operations, raised concerns over French manning levels with the United Kingdom government earlier this week and the government, in turn, raised the issue with its French counterparts”.
The Home Office said UK Border Force officials were in place to help but would not reveal how many to protect “operational details”.
Kent police used helicopters and motorcyclists to provide 11,000 bottles of water to stranded motorists as temperatures hit 20C, while families and lorry drivers abandoned their vehicles to play football and walk along the road side.
Port authorities said French border control booths at Dover had been “seriously understaffed”, claiming coaches were at one point having to wait 40 minutes each for all passengers to be checked in as only one French officer was available.
UK Border Force officials have been drafted in to work with French border police after the Government admitted motorists had suffered “extraordinary disruption” as the great summer getaway began on Friday.
The Conservative MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, who was struck in traffic for around two hours on Friday evening, said there had been a lack of planning which led to “poor transport management”.
The Port of Dover advised passengers to consider delaying their travel or make sure they had adequate food and water supplies if they made a decision to travel anyway.
A multiple sclerosis sufferer travelling to Germany for stem cell treatment was among those forced to spend the night in their vehicles.
A ferry company has urged United Kingdom and French authorities to ensure there is no repeat of the huge delays at Dover.
“The snakes of traffic outside Dover are a reminder that we can not expect life to carry on as normal after Brexit”, its editorial said.
“This can’t carry on and it certainly can’t happen again”.
She said: “The security of our citizens is paramount, and as France acts to meet the heightened security pressures it faces we are also taking all necessary action to ensure the border between our two countries remains secure – whilst also ensuring goods and passengers move as quickly and efficiently as possible between them”.
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It was misery for a lot of drivers stuck in the traffic on the way to Dover this weekend – but one guy had a clever way to beat the queues.
