Travelers Taking the Chunnel to France Are Facing Major Security Delays

Huge queues formed on the A20, M20 and A2, the main trunk roads.

Volunteers were delivering granola bars and bottled water to motorists and police helicopters were dropping water bottles to help the stranded travelers.

Ferry company DFDS warn of “another busy weekend” with traffic levels in Dover similar to the nose-to-nose chaos of the last few days.

At one stage there were only three officials manning the seven booths available, whilst only one was checking the passage of dozens of coaches, with each taking up to 40 minutes to pass through security.

But the French do not have the manpower to increase the amount of searches – leading to hours of delays, it was claimed.

The port said it had raised concerns over French staffing levels with the United Kingdom government earlier this week, which were then brought up with its French counterparts.

United Kingdom officials were sent to help at French border posts overnight on Saturday, in response to what the Home Office said was “extraordinary disruption”.

The Conservative Party chairman said he does not believe the French would try to harm their own tourism industry.

“We would nevertheless like to apologise to the passengers whose holidays were affected and assure them that we will be talking to the British and French authorities this week to ensure that there is no repetition of this disruption”, she added.

“There was just one person checking the coaches as I understand it, and that is just purely unacceptable”.

The possibility the French are making life hard for Brits has been raised across the United Kingdom this weekend.

Asked whether the delays could be revenge for the Brexit vote, he said “I hope not”.

“This can’t carry on and it certainly can’t happen again”.

Dover MP Charlie Elphicke said it was a “very serious situation” with families “suffering out there in massive tailbacks”, but he said it was all “completely avoidable”.

Puissesseau told the BBC he was “sorry for the British passengers” who had to wait a long time because of the controls.

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”.

“I can tell you when I finish the call with you I will call the Home Office and tell them it is unacceptable”.