Holidaymakers hoping to sail over from Dover to France face a third day of disruptions and delays as gridlock at the border persist.
Families heading for the continent on holiday found themselves stuck in cars for many hours as local residents struggled to make their way through the congestion that built up during the day.
At about 6am on Sunday, cars were facing 15-minute queues to reach border checks at Dover, P&O Ferries tweeted.
French and UK politicians have clashed over the cause of the delays as both extra post-Brexit border checks and French authorities’ understaffing of checkpoints in Dover have been blamed for the hold-ups.
However, the port said on Twitter that as of 2.15am on Sunday the system brought in temporarily to manage excess traffic in the area had ended and traffic can proceed directly to the port.
UK and French politicians have blamed each other for the delays
(PA)
The tweet said: “TrafficUpdate at PortofDover at 0215hrs. TAP is off for freight traffic. Freight can travel straight to the Port.
“Tourist traffic is also clear in the Port. The approach roads to the Port (A2 / A20) are flowing normally.”
Foreign secretary and Tory leadership hopeful Liz Truss said disruption at the Port of Dover was the fault of French authorities when asked if Brexit was the reason for the transport chaos.
Speaking at a campaign visit in Kent, she said: “This is a situation that has been caused by a lack of resource at the border.
“And that is what the French authorities need to address and that is what I am being very clear with them about.”
The Foreign Office later tweeted a statement from Ms Truss, announcing she had spoken to French foreign minister Catherine Colonna.
She said: “I was clear the French authorities have not put enough people on the border and we need to see action from then to resolve the terrible situation which travellers, including families, are facing.”
The message came after a tweet from Ms Colonna, who stated the pair had a “good talk”.
Ms Colonna added: “We welcomed the cooperation between our competent technical services to reduce the delays. Need also to improve the facilities of the port of Dover.”
But French politician Pierre-Henri Dumont, Republican MP for Calais, has blamed delays on the UK’s exit from the EU, telling BBC News it was “an aftermath of Brexit” with more checks needed and claiming the Dover port is “too small” with too few kiosks due to lack of space.
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