Dire Dover delays leave 40,000 tourists stranded in huge queues

'It's the French who have let us down'

- Berny Torre

MORE than 40,000 holidaymakers hoping to sail across the Channel were yesterday stuck in queues for hours on the busiest day at Dover since 2019.

And last night weary travellers were warned there is still a "way to go" to clear the backlog despite a rise in French border staff numbers.

Port bosses declared a "critical incident" as the big school holiday rush began on Friday, warning that trips could be ruined because of "woefully inadequate” staffing by the Police aux Frontières.

Yesterday, hundreds of trucks were backed up for three miles on the A20 into Dover.

A tailback also extended from the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone to the M20, which was partially closed to become a lorry park.

Some HGV drivers had waited "in excess of 18 hours" to cross the Channel, said Natalie Chapman, from haulier group Logistics UK.

And P&O Ferries told passengers to allow at least five hours to clear the approach roads and security.