Operation Stack enforced because of Storm Gareth

A seven-mile queues of lorries has formed on the M20 after police implemented ‘Operation Stack’ because of Storm Gareth.

Operation Stack is the procedure used by Kent Police and the Port of Dover in England to park lorries on the Kent motorway when cross-Channel services are disrupted by things like bad weather.

Storm Gareth has seen severe weather disrupt ferry crossings, with P&O Ferries saying its Dover-Calais sailings were delayed by up to 90 minutes.

The situation prompted Kent Police to announce that Operation Stack has been put in place.

A spokesman said: “As of 12.20pm Operation Stack is being put in place on the coastbound carriageway of the M20 between junctions 8 and 9.

“This is due to adverse weather conditions affecting Channel crossings at the Port of Dover.”

It is the first time Operation Stack has been activated in Kent in almost four years.

Depending on the number of lorries queuing, the closure of the M20 can be extended to Junction 11.

Marston airfield can be used as a lorry park in extreme cases but police said it is not currently being used.

Highways England has been carrying out work on the M20 in preparation for potential post-Brexit delays.

Under Operation Brock, lorries travelling to mainland Europe will be held on the M20 while a contraflow system will aim to minimise the impact on people travelling within Kent.

In recent days Calais has been hit by long queues as French customs officials carry out industrial action as they demand more pay and resources.

They have been working to rule by carrying out more stringent checks than normal in an attempt to demonstrate the impact of tighter border controls after Brexit.

Road Haulage Association chief executive Richard Burnett said: “This will ease the flow of traffic into Dover as a result of bad weather causing delays to cross-Channel traffic.

“But if we leave the EU without a deal and the authorities on the French side use Kent roads as a traffic filter, the repercussions for Kent residents and business could be disastrous.”