The head of the Port of Calais says he’ll complain to French authorities about massive delays faced by people trying to cross the border at Dover.
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Traffic on the roads to Dover is now said to be at “normal” levels, after long tailbacks forced hundreds of people to spend the night in their vehicles.
However Kent Police has said the “large volume” of holiday traffic coupled with heightened security checks “could mean some delays over the next few weeks”.
Motorists are still stuck in queues at the port of Dover as traffic hell is expected to last until Monday.
A spokesman said concerns about staffing levels were raised with the Government earlier in the week, and said those had been passed to French authorities.
It began on Friday night as many schools broke up for the summer holidays.
What should have been a straightforward journey to Dover turned into a 20-hour ordeal for 50-year-old Tanya Cudworth, who was travelling to a Frankfurt clinic. “The current wait remains lengthy and passengers should contact ferry operators for information, consider delaying their departure, and ensure they have plenty of water and food with them if deciding to travel”.
A police helicopter dropped water bottles to stranded drivers, while volunteers from a local charity were handing out granola bars and water.
French officials have expanded border checks during the state of emergency declared after repeated extremist attacks on civilians. We are acutely aware of the effect the disruption is having in the Dover area and we continue to co-operate with the French authorities about a range of operational matters.
In a statement Highways England said: “All traffic is being advised to use the M20/A20 as the A2 is at a standstill into the Port of Dover”.
P&O Ferries tweeted: “Heightened security check at French Border Control in Dover due to events in France, we’ll get you on your way as soon as you check in”.
He added that he will “make so big pressure” that the delays should not happen again.
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Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she sympathises with those caught up in the chaos, but said security is “paramount”. “Measures are also being taken on the approach to the port where Kent Police will be proactively managing traffic to speed up the process”, a government spokesperson told the BBC.
