Britons packed the boot and topped up the car with fuel the price of liquid gold — and then sat in unmoving traffic as a record number of motorists set off on their Easter holidays yesterday.
Long tailbacks towards the Port of Dover caused some drivers to miss their ferry to the Continent, and there was also significant congestion on the M25 near Heathrow. A stretch of the M6 near Manchester was closed after a lorry overturned.
The Port of Dover was hit by a lack of French border officers, which caused delays of more than two hours for passengers crossing the Channel. Passport checks are carried out on the UK side.
Passengers were urged to take food and drink with them as temperatures hit