We don’t know when Calais strike chaos will end, admit officials

Operation stack has closed the M20

THERE is no end in sight to the strikes that continue to cripple cross-Channel services, officials have admitted.

As food and water was being distributed to lorry drivers stranded on what could be the hottest day of the year, port officials said they had no idea when the French protests would end.

British coastguard teams have been drafted in to bring relief to those stuck in huge tailbacks on the M20 in Kent caused by striking French ferry workers who have closed the port of Calais.

The chaos on both sides of the Channel began on Monday when MyFerryLink workers staged a wildcat strike in protest at expected job cuts.

It is the second strike by ferry workers in a week.

Ferry services to and from Dover have been affected, while the Channel Tunnel reopened yesterday afternoon following a three-hour shut down.

Water and supplies are being distributed to drivers

A Port of Dover spokesman said: ‘We sincerely regret the impact to the travelling public, freight and the Dover community of a situation that is beyond our control.

'We will continue to monitor the situation closely in liaison with our ferry partners and the Port of Calais in order to resume normal operations as soon as possible’

Kent Police has implemented Phase 3 of Operation Stack, which has seen freight traffic held on the coastbound carriageway of the M20.

A Dover coastguard spokesman said: 'We are currently helping Kent Police to distribute food and water.

'As an emergency service we have the capability to respond to major incidents when needed, however this does not impact on our maritime search and rescue response capabilities.’

Crew members and catering staff on MyFerrylink services announced the strike after Eurotunnel, which owns the ships, sold the cross-channel service to rival operator DFDS.

The sale came after a competition authority ruling and left up to 600 jobs, including 70 in Dover, under threat.

The Road Haulage Association has waded into the debate, saying the action was having a 'massive effect’ on the UK economy and was placing livelihoods and lives of hauliers at risk.

Its chief executive Richard Burnett said it was 'absolute mayhem’. He said: 'The time for talking around the table has passed.

'The UK and French governments must acknowledge their responsibilities to all Port of Calais users, move in and act. If this means deployment of the armed forces then so be it.’

He added: 'The only word to describe what is happening there is absolute mayhem.

'There appears to be very little, if any, security and demonstrators have closed both the Eurostar and LeShuttle tunnels by setting fire to tyres. This is not only causing disruption on a massive scale, it is inevitably putting many lives at risk.’

P&O Ferries chief executive Helen Deeble has hit out with fierce criticism towards the British and French governments, as well as Eurotunnel.

She pointed out that P&O Ferries employs thousands of people on both sides of the Channel and 'this damaging and dangerous industrial action is now putting those jobs at risk’.

Kent County Council said its staff provided 2,000 bottles of water and 750 snack meals yesterday, and a further 5,000 bottles, plus 200 meals, were due to be distributed today to drivers caught up in Operation Stack.

Motorists were told to avoid the area. Some have vented their frustration about the delays caused by the strike on the other side of the Channel.

On Twitter, one wrote: 'This Operation Stack is a disgrace, wasn’t even travelling in the direction of France and it’s still causing hour delays.’

Another tweeted Conservative Dover MP Charlie Elphicke, saying: 'For the record, the people of Dover are now stranded, completely cut off in their own town.’

The troubles have come amid the migrant crisis in Calais, where more than 3,000 people displaced from countries including Eritrea, Syria and Afghanistan have set up camp.

Migrants have been taking advantage of slow-moving and queueing traffic by trying to board vehicles bound for Britain.

Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin has chaired a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergency committee to discuss the situation in Calais, and Prime Minister David Cameron is due to speak by phone with French President Francois Hollande.

Mr Cameron’s official spokesman said: ‘We are making sure we are doing all we can to get Calais back open.’

UK ambassador Sir Peter Ricketts is visiting Calais today to speak to port authorities.