Furious holidaymakers have complained of being ‘treated worse than cattle’ after spending 21 hours in huge Eurotunnel queues that turned roadsides into a ‘public urinal’ and saw children having to brush their teeth in lay-bys.
Tens of thousands of exasperated families have endured chaos trying to cross the Channel this weekend, with many having to sleep in their vehicles overnight due to delays at passport checks.
Extra post-Brexit border checks and French authorities’ understaffing of checkpoints in Dover have been blamed for the hold-ups.
The fiasco began early on Friday when French border officials operated just six of their 12 booths at the port.
There were hopes that delays would improve at today, with the Port of Dover claiming that traffic was once again ‘flowing normally’ in this afternoon.
But the situation remains dire around the Eurotunnel at Folkestone today, with some families having spent 21 hours trying to make the crossing, with others complaining of moving just ‘one mile in eight hours’.
Father-of-three Manesh Luthra left his Essex home with his family at 4am on Saturday and reached close to the Eurotunnel shortly before 6am.
He told the BBC: ‘We joined the back of the queue for what was the worse 21 hours experienced. We moved metres in hours.’
Mr Luthra said the family were tempted to give up ‘numerous times’ as they received ‘no info, no support and no supplies’.
He added: ‘It was savage, I was worried there would be an accident.’
Another holidaymaker Joan, who is travelling with her disabled sister, told LBC: ‘We left our hotel and at 8.30am we entered the traffic jam – this is where we have been all day long. We have moved a mile in eight hours.
‘It is absolutely horrendous, there are people passing out, we have had no police presence, there are people ringing 999, we have had no information.
‘The hard shoulder is like a public urinal now. People are trying to give their dogs exercise. People are running out of water.’
And Jack Cousens, Head of Roads Policy at the AA, said that Folkestone has ‘become the hotspot of holiday hell’.
He said: ‘Drivers are now trying to find alternative routes down to the Eurotunnel terminal at J11a on the M20. Holidaymakers are trying to use the M2 and then find ways to ‘drop down’ into the A20 and the terminal via the back roads.
‘Drivers heading to Folkestone need to be prepared. We have seen that many are waiting for several hours before they get to the terminal, so all the pre-journey vehicle checks are key along with carrying plenty of food, water and entertainment for younger travellers.’
A huge queue of traffic trying to enter the Eurotunnel at Folkestone, Kent, today as the chaos continues for a third day
Holidaymakers wait outside their cars in gridlocked traffic pictured close to the Port of Dover this morning
Holidaymakers and hauliers were pictured leaving their cars for fresh air as traffic became gridlocked
A dejected looking man was among many to leave their cars after becoming stuck among the chaos
Police at the scene in Folkestone as traffic becomes gridlocked on the approach to the Eurotunnel
Gridlocked traffic on the approach to a roundabout close to the Eurotunnel in Folkestone, where chaos has ensued for a third straight day
Long queues around the entrance to the Eurotunnel in Folkestone, Kent, where similar delays have plagued travellers
Kent Roads surrounding the entrance to the station we at a standstill this morning and could worsen as the day continues
The Kent Resilience Forum has warned that Sunday will remain another day filled with disruption
Gridlocked traffic pictured on the approach to the Eurotunnel at Folkestone earlier today, where families have reported being stuck in 21-hour queues
Some motorists are being handed bottles of water as they spend hours waiting inside their cars, while families have been urged to bring plenty of food and entertainment for any young travellers.
It comes after the Kent Resilience Forum, which is responsible for coordinating the county’s response and recovery to emergencies, has warned that Sunday will remain another day filled with disruption and delays.
Holidaymakers have reported setting off in the middle of the night to try and catch their trains.
Meanwhile, an anti-Brexit French police chief has been blamed for the mayhem as a cross-Channel row over fault enrages.
Fernand Gontier, 62, director general of France’s PAF Border Police, is accused of being responsible for there not having been enough French officers at Dover to help process checks on Friday.
As few as just six of 12 passport check booths were manned on Friday.
Dover MP Natalie Elphicke hit out at Mr Gontier, claiming he has ‘questions to answer’ over the delays.
She said: ‘First, the French don’t turn up to work, then they refuse to apologise for ruining Brits’ well-deserved holidays.
‘No wonder people are asking whether this is yet more anti-British behaviour from the French to punish us for leaving the EU.
‘I’m really disappointed by Mr Gontier. How was this allowed to happen? ‘He’s responsible as the chief. He has questions to answer.’
A Port of Dover source also told The Sun: ‘It’s clear Mr Gontier is not a fan of Brexit.
‘It feels that them not opening at full capacity on Friday has caused a backlog still being seen today.’
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps blamed France for the ‘unacceptable’ delays, arguing that French passport authorities should have ensured enough staff were operating the passport booths, The Times reports.
And Foreign Secretary and Tory leadership hopeful Liz Truss also said disruption was the fault of French authorities when asked if Brexit was the reason for the transport chaos.
Speaking at a campaign visit in Kent yesterday, 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, Commonwealth & Development Office later tweeted a statement from Ms Truss announcing that she had spoken to French foreign minister Catherine Colonna.
Traffic pictured building at the Port of Dover early on Sunday amid warnings of another day of chaos. The situation has since improved
Huge queues pictured on the approach to the Port of Dover on Sunday morning as delays continued into a third day at the Channel crossing
Anti-Brexit French police chief Fernand Gontier (pictured) is accused of being responsible for delays at the port
Passengers pictured in lengthy queues at Bristol Airport at 4.30am this morning as holidaymakers across the UK face delays
A passenger pictured sleeping in a waiting area at Bristol Airport in the early hours of this morning as holidaymakers encountered huge queues at the travel hub
Queues on the approach to passport check booths at the Port of Dover this morning, where some passengers said they slept overnight
Tens of thousands of exasperated families have become caught up in the chaos since issues began on Friday
A long queue of cars trying to reach passport checks booths at the Port of Dover this morning
There were hopes the situation would improve today, with the port claiming that traffic was once again ‘flowing normally’ in the early hours
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, 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.
A statement from the Port of Dover said today: ‘With all aspects of the summer getaway operation running at full pace, the Port of Dover worked around the clock with its operational partners to clear waiting Dover-bound freight vehicles overnight.
‘The backlog of tourist passengers that was generated on Friday has also now been cleared along with successfully getting Saturday’s holidaymakers off on their way. So far this weekend the Port has processed 72,000 passengers, which is more than 200 miles of tourist and freight traffic combined.
‘With the entire port system working efficiently, including strong support from French border colleagues and ferries running through the night, the Port demonstrated that its summer plan will work for the rest of the holiday period, as it did in clearing huge volumes of tourist and freight traffic to get back to normal by the early hours of Sunday morning.
‘We should not have been in this situation in the first place, however, with all partners working together, the plan will ensure that trade continues to flow effectively, families get away on their holidays quickly and our community is open and free to go about its business.
‘The Port of Dover is set for another busy day today. With the additional French border control booths we have installed being fully utilised and our passenger champions on hand to help, the system is performing well, but please check with your chosen ferry operators for updates if you are intending to travel,’
Earlier, Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister said it was ‘immensely frustrating’ to be ‘let down’ by poor resourcing at the French border, adding that there will be ‘increased transaction times’ at the border due to extra checks needed.
He later said he welcomed the ‘commitment shown by both French and UK authorities to resolve the issue’, and added the required staffing levels must be maintained for the rest of the summer.
And today, he added: ‘I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has turned this situation around, from the French and UK authorities to our ferry operators, Kent partners and our own port staff.
‘I am also incredibly grateful for the support and understanding that our customers and community have shown us during this challenging period.
‘We all now owe it to them to ensure our summer plan is delivered in full for the rest of the holiday period.’
Natalie Chapman, from haulier group Logistics UK, echoed concerns about French staff numbers and Brexit changes.
She said: ‘As I say, the cause was that lack of resource yesterday but also, of course, it takes a lot longer to process through traffic than it used to.
‘You used to, prior to Brexit, just wave your passport and they may or may not be looked at but now every one is checked and stamped.’
Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, called on the goverment to invest in freight facilities over using the motorway ‘as a car park’.
He said: ‘It would be a mistake to think the chaos we have seen around Dover and across East Kent this weekend is new and novel.
‘These tailback problems have been around for decades and are stark evidence of how fragile our continental links across the Channel can be.
‘Even when the new post-Brexit customs regime has bedded down ferry services can still fall prey to foul weather and industrial action.
‘Successive governments have failed to grasp the nettle and invest in the scale of extra lorry parking – with facilities for drivers – instead relying on the inadequate solution of turning a motorway into a lorry park, with the consequent massive disruption that brings to the surrounding area.
‘It’s high time we replaced the sticking plaster with a resilient solution worthy of the name.’
Around 6,500 cars are expected to make the crossing today, down from 10,000 on Saturday.
Port officials and staff at the Eurotunnel in nearby Folkestone also worked through the night to try and clear a backlog of 1,500 lorries that were forced to park on the side of the M20.
The government has considered tit-for-tat measures against EU passport holders entering the UK by delaying them with ‘wet stamping’, while British citizens would face less stringent measures.
But a decision on the proposal has been delayed after civil servants recommended that such measure be withheld until the new Prime Minister begins their post.
The more rigorous post-Brexit passport checks have caused the average time for a car to be processed at a booth by French officials to nearly triple from around 25-30 seconds up to between 70 seconds and three minutes, Mr Bannister has said.
The chaotic scenes have heaped fresh misery on travellers who have already suffered months of disruptions at understaffed airports and endured strike action on the railways.
It comes as delays that have plagued the UK’s airports for months continued this morning as passengers were pictured in lengthy queues at Bristol Airport.
Scenes at EasyJet check-in desks were described as ‘absolute chaos’ by passengers.
A spokesperson for the airport said: ‘The only issues we faced this morning was due to customers arriving very early ahead of check-in opening.
‘We are advising all customers to check with their airline and arrive when check-in opens, arriving early adds to the congestion. Maximum queue time at check-in was 43 minutes for a short period of time.’
Travel hubs have been struggling to cope with the number of passengers trying to travel abroad after Covid restrictions were eased earlier this year.
There have been repeated complaints about long queues for security at airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester, while a shortage of baggage handlers has led to long delays in people collecting their luggage.
Passengers queue to get into the arrivals hall at Bristol Airport in the early hours of this morning amid a weekend of travel chaos across the UK
LONDON HEATHROW AIRPORT: Passengers queue for check-in on a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight at Heathrow on Friday
MANCHESTER AIRPORT: Passengers queue for check-in at Manchester Airport’s Terminal Two on Friday
On Friday, air passengers faced long queues in parts of London Heathrow, Manchester and Bristol airports following the beginning of the school summer holidays.
With most terms in England and Wales now ending, the RAC said an estimated 18.8million leisure trips are planned in the UK between today and Monday – the most since it began tracking summer getaway numbers in 2014.
It comes after Britain’s road network came under intense pressure yesterday, with 18.8 million journeys made in the biggest summer getaway in eight years.
Nikki Allford, 31, and her three daughters aged five, eight and 12, left their home in Hertfordshire at 11.30pm on Friday for a trip to Disneyland Paris. They got stuck in traffic in Kent at 2.30am and did not board a Channel Tunnel train until 11.15am.
‘It’s a bit of a free-for-all now as there are so many delays there is no real way of tracking who’s getting on what train,’ she told The Mail on Sunday as they drove on to the train. ‘This is our first holiday since pre-Covid, so we are desperate to get there.’
Rea Pope, a science teacher from Reigate, Surrey, was stranded in the queue outside Eurotunnel’s terminal in Folkestone for more than six hours – with traffic taking 90 minutes to crawl just 100 yards. ‘We arrived in the traffic one mile away at 5am and we are still stuck in it,’ she wrote on Twitter just before 11am.
Caroline Lynsey left her home in Cambridge at 3am but did not reach the passport booths at the Eurotunnel terminal until around midday – nine hours later. She estimated it had taken seven hours to travel just three miles.
‘Seriously, don’t bother coming near here today, change your tickets,’ she wrote in a post on Facebook.
Also among those affected were pensioners Paul and Wendy Nicholas who were heading to Cologne to join a river cruise on Saturday.
They got to the port by train but the coach they had to catch got caught in a huge traffic jam 18 miles outside Dover.
‘We’ve no idea when the coach is going to get here,’ said Mr Nicholas, a former assistant chief constable. ‘It’s been a disaster.’