We need a solution to this madness

Do you get that feeling of here we go again? Six days after the pandemonium stemming from striking French ferry workers they were up to their old tricks again on Monday. And the repeat cry of “toutes hors, mes freres” (all out, brothers) has caused a domino effect of calamity on both sides of the Channel.

Firstly, the resulting traffic tailbacks at Calais led to the grotesque scenes of illegal immigrants breaking into stranded lorries. In Ashford and Shepway, it led to traffic chaos as our authorities had to wearily implement Operation Stack leading to tailbacks snaking along the A20 and M20.

Locals who know our roads inside out can at least save themselves from being stuck fast by finding alternative routes. But spare a thought for lorry drivers and holidaymakers who don’t know the area and are left to languish in traffic queues during the present heatwave. The dreadful prospect is that with the unpredictability of the more militant French trade unionists these strikes could recur several times this summer.

An additional problem is that it could also lead to the suffering of our local economy. We rely heavily on tourism and people will hardly visit if it means festering inside a car for hours on a gridlocked road. There has been a lot of bitterness and exchange of blame between British and French authorities but both sides must sit down and work out a mutually acceptable solution to this maddening problem.