8HR JAM HITS DOVER
HOLIDAYMAKERS faced eight-hour tailbacks on the roads to Dover as the big summer getaway began.
French authorities tightened security checks amid terror fears, creating massive jams and leaving scores of motorists stranded.
At one point there was only one official checking passports at border control desks on the other side of the Channel.
But officials have now “temporarily relaxed the checks” to get the queues moving. And P&O Ferries said it would hold back sailings to make sure passengers stuck in traffic would not miss their trips.
Kent Police closed one lane of the A20 northbound to let the coastguard distribute 11,000 bottles of water to motorists.
The hold-ups came as some parts of the country basked in 28C heat.
Kris Mazur, who spent Friday night on the road, said: “People have just been standing around the edge of the road having picnics or sleeping in their cars. “There has been no access to food or toilets.” Dale Savage, who was caught in delays on the way to his brother’s wedding, said: “There are a lot of kids here, a lot of young children.
“There are no real frustrations. The real problem was no one knew what was going on.
“There was a bit of a camping spirit going on, a little like Glastonbury.” A spokesman for the Port of Dover said the UK government had raised concerns with the French earlier this week over staffing levels at border checkpoints.
He added: “The current wait remains lengthy and passengers should contact ferry operators for information, consider delaying their departure, and ensure they have plenty of water and food with them.”