IT issues cause Christmas getaway delays at Dover

Long queues of travellers have formed at the Port of Dover, which are being blamed on IT issues at French border controls.

The situation has been described as "absolute chaos" by one traveller, and images of the port show a long line of vehicles queuing at a standstill.

Around 30,000 cars are expected to pass through Dover this weekend as the Christmas getaway reaches its peak.

Doug Bannister, the port's chief executive, said: "There are still some ongoing (IT) issues, which are causing increased wait times whilst traffic is being processed."

He added: "We are working with our partner agencies whilst they try to resolve these issues."

The port says travellers face a processing time of one hour once vehicles arrive.

One traveller posted on X: "Horrible experience at Port of Dover this morning. Absolute chaos.

"Traffic at a standstill for an hour. Worst start to holiday imaginable. Just missed our boat. Still stuck. Kids in car."

One local resident told the BBC the town was "proper rammed".

The port advised passengers not to arrive more than two hours before their sailing.

It said if customers do miss their scheduled sailing due to the wait times, their ferry operator will place them on the next available crossing.

Long queues have been seen on the roads leading into Dover.

A port spokesperson asked all port-bound traffic to remain on main roads "to allow the Dover community to travel to festive events and finish their Christmas shopping in the town".

Meanwhile, public transport operators are experiencing problems reaching the port.

Bus company Stagecoach said in a statement: "Due to heavy traffic at the docks the service will be unable to serve Eastern Docks at the moment."