Dover: ‘Critical incident’ declared at Port as passengers urged to consider ‘staying away’

The Port of Dover has declared a “critical incident” as queues of six hours threaten to ruin the start of the summer holidays for thousands of families. In one of the busiest periods for foreign travel from the UK, tourists are finding themselves stuck in gridlocked traffic as they attempt to embark on cross-Channel sailings.

Yesterday, queues of up to three hours were reported by several ferry companies operating at the Port. This has now doubled, with tourists urged to consider staying away.

Ferry operator P&O Ferries told passengers: “Please be aware that there is heavy traffic at border control in the port of Dover. If you are booked to travel today please allow at least six hours to clear all security checks.”

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The Kent port has attacked French authorities for letting them down with “woefully inadequate” border control staffing, adding it will be a “very difficult day” at the port. Passengers sailing from Dover must pass through French border checks before they can board a ferry.

In a statement, the port said it has increased the number of border control booths by 50 per cent due to post-Brexit and Covid checks, and shared traffic volume forecasts “in granular detail” with the French authorities. It said: “Regrettably, the PAF (police aux frontieres) resource has been insufficient and has fallen far short of what is required to ensure a smooth first weekend of the peak summer getaway period.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Kent, port chief executive Doug Bannister said: “We’ve got a critical incident under way. We’ve been badly let down this morning by the French border. Insufficient resources and much slower than normal transactions, which is leading to