The BBC's Robin Gibson: "Some of the worst hold-ups ever seen in the UK"

All ferry services on the busy Dover to Calais route were suspended on Wednesday as a Sea France staffing dispute snowballed into a lock-out by French dockers.

But port authorities in both Dover and Calais have confirmed that ferries are now moving freely.

Services resume

P&O Stena Line says it expects to be running a normal service by lunchtime, although it will take a while to clear more than 1,000 lorries which have been stacking up in holding areas on the M20.

French ferry workers were forced to disperse after P&O Stena Line and Sea France, obtained injunctions against the strikers in a French court late on Wednesday.

Police moved in to clear strikers early on Thursday, and riot police were on hand to prevent pickets reforming.

There is still a backlog of lorries

The dispute began over the appointment of a purser - an officer who keeps the accounts - on a Sea France ship. This prompted crews to take unofficial action, which the company branded "illegal".

The crews then persuaded Calais dockers to support their strike and all vessels were turned away.

As a result, the two-day strike action sharply reduced ferry services across the English Channel, and also caused huge traffic jams on roads leading to the port.

The UK Road Haulage Association says its members are fed up with being hit by French industrial disputes that are nothing to do with them, and are outside their control.

It says this type of disruption costs Britain £1m a day.