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| Dover delays force UK Home Office to send in reinforcements | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| British officials are being drafted in to work with French border police as holidaymakers heading for Dover are warned of huge delays and traffic gridlock lasting into Monday. | British officials are being drafted in to work with French border police as holidaymakers heading for Dover are warned of huge delays and traffic gridlock lasting into Monday. |
| The Home Office is sending in the UK Border Force after the government said motorists had suffered “extraordinary disruption” on Saturday that forced some motorists to spend the night in their cars in huge tailbacks. | The Home Office is sending in the UK Border Force after the government said motorists had suffered “extraordinary disruption” on Saturday that forced some motorists to spend the night in their cars in huge tailbacks. |
| The disruption is down to the “vast volume of holiday traffic”, police said, coupled with delays caused by heightened security at the border following increased checks by French authorities in the wake of recent terror attacks. | The disruption is down to the “vast volume of holiday traffic”, police said, coupled with delays caused by heightened security at the border following increased checks by French authorities in the wake of recent terror attacks. |
| UK holidaymakers heading off for a summer break spent up to 15 hours in 20C heat in traffic jams on the A2, A20 and M20 on Saturday. Police used helicopters and motorcyclists to distribute 11,000 bottles of water to those stranded in standstill traffic. | UK holidaymakers heading off for a summer break spent up to 15 hours in 20C heat in traffic jams on the A2, A20 and M20 on Saturday. Police used helicopters and motorcyclists to distribute 11,000 bottles of water to those stranded in standstill traffic. |
| Congestion showed signs of easing early on Sunday, but the Port of Dover warned of waiting times of nearly three hours from Roundhill Tunnels at Folkestone, about eight miles away. Once in the port, motorists faced a further 90 minutes to reach the French border checks. | Congestion showed signs of easing early on Sunday, but the Port of Dover warned of waiting times of nearly three hours from Roundhill Tunnels at Folkestone, about eight miles away. Once in the port, motorists faced a further 90 minutes to reach the French border checks. |
| Among those stuck in traffic was Tanya Cudworth, 50, who has multiple sclerosis. She was travelling to Germany for potentially life-changing treatment on Monday. | Among those stuck in traffic was Tanya Cudworth, 50, who has multiple sclerosis. She was travelling to Germany for potentially life-changing treatment on Monday. |
| Cudworth, from Derby, who had raised £5,000 for stem cell treatment at a Frankfurt clinic, set off from Tunbridge Wells with partner Steve Deene, 53, at 8.30am on Saturday, and finally made it on to a ferry 20 hours later at 4.20am on Sunday. She described the experience stuck on the A20 as “absolutely horrendous”. | Cudworth, from Derby, who had raised £5,000 for stem cell treatment at a Frankfurt clinic, set off from Tunbridge Wells with partner Steve Deene, 53, at 8.30am on Saturday, and finally made it on to a ferry 20 hours later at 4.20am on Sunday. She described the experience stuck on the A20 as “absolutely horrendous”. |
| “During the day it was so hot and there was nowhere near enough water and at night it was pitch black so you didn’t know what was going on around you. You couldn’t sleep because you had to keep moving forward,” she told the Press Association. | “During the day it was so hot and there was nowhere near enough water and at night it was pitch black so you didn’t know what was going on around you. You couldn’t sleep because you had to keep moving forward,” she told the Press Association. |
| “We didn’t get any water until 3am and I saw women with babies, young families and people with pets with no water. It’s shocking that more wasn’t done to get it to people. The authorities weren’t anywhere to be seen.” | “We didn’t get any water until 3am and I saw women with babies, young families and people with pets with no water. It’s shocking that more wasn’t done to get it to people. The authorities weren’t anywhere to be seen.” |
| At one point, the couple turned off the A20 to try to find a hotel but everywhere was booked and they had to return to the queue. | At one point, the couple turned off the A20 to try to find a hotel but everywhere was booked and they had to return to the queue. |
| The Sikh relief organisation, Khalsa Aid, which supplies aid to refugees in makeshift camps, found itself helping motorists. The organisation was given a blue light escort to distribute 5,800 bottles of water and cereal bars to those stranded. | The Sikh relief organisation, Khalsa Aid, which supplies aid to refugees in makeshift camps, found itself helping motorists. The organisation was given a blue light escort to distribute 5,800 bottles of water and cereal bars to those stranded. |
| Aid worker Ravi Singh organised the drop after seeing images of the traffic on social media. He told Sky News the organisation normally works in the refugees camps where there is no water. He said: “And this is Britain, and I think the government should really have prepared for this, especially on a day like this, on a hot day, to provide some sort of reassurance if this happens there is a plan B.” | Aid worker Ravi Singh organised the drop after seeing images of the traffic on social media. He told Sky News the organisation normally works in the refugees camps where there is no water. He said: “And this is Britain, and I think the government should really have prepared for this, especially on a day like this, on a hot day, to provide some sort of reassurance if this happens there is a plan B.” |
| Some were determined to make the most of it, as Twitter user Hannah Brisley discovered when she was treated to an impromptu performance by a singing group she had given food to. | |
| She tweeted: “After stopping to throw food down for those caught in the chaos, we find out they are a singing group!” and she posted a video of their performance. | |
| After stopping to throw food down for those caught in the chaos,we find out they are a singing group! #dovertraffic pic.twitter.com/fwHtgnYPMV | |
| The Home Office acted as the severity of the disruption became clear late on Saturday. Questions have been raised about staffing levels by the French border police to deal with the huge number of people travelling. | The Home Office acted as the severity of the disruption became clear late on Saturday. Questions have been raised about staffing levels by the French border police to deal with the huge number of people travelling. |
| Port of Dover authorities claimed French border control booths at Dover had been “seriously understaffed” overnight. It claimed at one point coaches were forced to wait 40 minutes so that all passengers could be checked in as only one French official was available. | Port of Dover authorities claimed French border control booths at Dover had been “seriously understaffed” overnight. It claimed at one point coaches were forced to wait 40 minutes so that all passengers could be checked in as only one French official was available. |
| In addition to the Home Office sending in UK border staff, Kent police will be “proactively managing” traffic in a bid to reduce delays that have clogged roads during the busiest weekend of the summer break. | In addition to the Home Office sending in UK border staff, Kent police will be “proactively managing” traffic in a bid to reduce delays that have clogged roads during the busiest weekend of the summer break. |
| A government spokeswoman said: “We recognise the security pressures that French law enforcement organisations are under at Dover and we have agreed the UK Border Force will assist the PAF (French border police) with border checks to remove the backlog. | A government spokeswoman said: “We recognise the security pressures that French law enforcement organisations are under at Dover and we have agreed the UK Border Force will assist the PAF (French border police) with border checks to remove the backlog. |
| “We understand that there has been extraordinary disruption in the Dover area today [Saturday] but safety 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.” | “We understand that there has been extraordinary disruption in the Dover area today [Saturday] but safety 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.” |
| Cross-channel ferries were forced to leave port half empty to meet sailing times. Motorists trapped in the queues for most of Saturday complained of lack of information about when the disruption might end. | Cross-channel ferries were forced to leave port half empty to meet sailing times. Motorists trapped in the queues for most of Saturday complained of lack of information about when the disruption might end. |
| Among them, Joerg Walther and his family, who live in Lincoln, described the situation as “unprecedented” . “Police and service vehicles were driving up and down the westbound carriageway,” the IT worker, 50, travelling with his family to his home town of Giessen, near Frankfurt, told the Press Association. “Also no food other than from a kind local.” After 14 hours they had travelled about 10 miles before they speeded up, only then to be greeted with a sign warning of a further two-hour wait when they reached the border. | Among them, Joerg Walther and his family, who live in Lincoln, described the situation as “unprecedented” . “Police and service vehicles were driving up and down the westbound carriageway,” the IT worker, 50, travelling with his family to his home town of Giessen, near Frankfurt, told the Press Association. “Also no food other than from a kind local.” After 14 hours they had travelled about 10 miles before they speeded up, only then to be greeted with a sign warning of a further two-hour wait when they reached the border. |
| He said it had taken an ambulance almost an hour to reach an elderly man who became distressed on an nearby coach. | He said it had taken an ambulance almost an hour to reach an elderly man who became distressed on an nearby coach. |
| Police advised people to stay in their cars, despite temperatures peaking at 20.2C (68.36F), though many got out to wait by their vehicles. Children played football to entertain themselves, while others played music and danced on the gridlocked roads. Footage from the blocked M20 shows young families dancing to a steel drummer accompanied by a tambourine player. In another video a man was playing his banjo while waiting by his stationary trailer. | Police advised people to stay in their cars, despite temperatures peaking at 20.2C (68.36F), though many got out to wait by their vehicles. Children played football to entertain themselves, while others played music and danced on the gridlocked roads. Footage from the blocked M20 shows young families dancing to a steel drummer accompanied by a tambourine player. In another video a man was playing his banjo while waiting by his stationary trailer. |
| By Saturday evening, Highways England was warning of 10-hour delays, and police said traffic was queuing back 12 miles out of Dover. | By Saturday evening, Highways England was warning of 10-hour delays, and police said traffic was queuing back 12 miles out of Dover. |
| The Conservative MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, who was himself stuck in traffic for about two hours on Friday, said there had been a lack of forward planning that led to “poor transport management”. He called for the government to apologise for the “traffic nightmare”. | The Conservative MP for Dover, Charlie Elphicke, who was himself stuck in traffic for about two hours on Friday, said there had been a lack of forward planning that led to “poor transport management”. He called for the government to apologise for the “traffic nightmare”. |
| The shadow home secretary, Andy Burnham, accused the government of being “caught ill-prepared once again” and said the prime minister should have expected heightened security checks in France. | The shadow home secretary, Andy Burnham, accused the government of being “caught ill-prepared once again” and said the prime minister should have expected heightened security checks in France. |
| Many travellers vented their frustration on Twitter. Motorist Alison Dillon tweeted: “Update on journey; still not there 20 hours queuing. My niece walked to find food & fainted in petrol station. Disgrace.” | Many travellers vented their frustration on Twitter. Motorist Alison Dillon tweeted: “Update on journey; still not there 20 hours queuing. My niece walked to find food & fainted in petrol station. Disgrace.” |
| UK port authorities have said they have no authority over French operations, but said they had raised the staffing issues with the government last week. | UK port authorities have said they have no authority over French operations, but said they had raised the staffing issues with the government last week. |