Holiday getaway hits port traffic

Kent Police said the traffic was slowly moving

The Christmas getaway has caused major congestion in the Dover and Folkestone areas of Kent.

Police implemented Operation Stack on the coastbound carriageway of the M20 because of the numbers of vehicles heading to the port.

The motorway was closed between junction 11 and 12, and there was also heavy traffic on the A20 and A2.

Motorists have been urged to only use the port if they have pre-booked tickets on ferries.

Motorist Suzanne Emson said: "Nobody knew what was happening.

"We just stopped so people were just walking up and down the motorway and chatting on their phones and leaping over the barrier to go and have a pee in the bushes.

'Unprecedented traffic'

"I was amazed that there were no signs on the motorway."

The Port of Dover said it had 60 ferry departures on Saturday and there were no reported delays.

But Kate O'Hara, of the Port of Dover, added: "The port is extremely busy with tourist traffic and freight drivers wanting to get home before the festive period.

"We are experiencing heavy volumes of tourist traffic, some day trippers going Christmas shopping and others going abroad for a holiday.

"A lot of the traffic is arriving unbooked, and once again we urge all customers to obtain a ferry reservation before setting out for the port."

Kent Police Insp Jon Hambly said: "The traffic is moving, slowly but surely.

"[There's] been a build up at the docks overnight which was a result of an unprecedented amount of traffic that was certainly unexpected."