Dover port eases EES checks after long queues

The Port of Dover said it had escalated the situation with border authorities and suspended the extra checks to clear queues at the terminal and ease congestion on surrounding roads.

Travellers had faced up to two hours of delay reaching the port and up to another two and a half hours to complete processing at the terminal on Saturday morning.

By lunchtime traffic was slow moving and processing time at check-in was under an hour, the port said. Just after 14:00, traffic was free-flowing.

The European Union's new Entry/Exit System requires biometric checks, including fingerprinting and facial scanning, for non-EU travellers. French authorities have not yet activated the machines for these checks at the port, but border officials at Dover were still entering traveller details into a database, which caused longer waits.

The port said the additional measures have now been suspended and delays are easing. Conventional border checks remain in place.

Passengers who miss their ferry crossing due to waiting times will be able to travel on the next available crossing, the port said.

Port of Dover chief executive Doug Bannister told the BBC the port expected more than 8,000 cars to pass through on Saturday. He said 84 kiosks had been installed to handle the new digital system and peak volumes.

"Despite having assurances from authorities, from our government, from the French around how this would work it really was slow processing this morning," Bannister said. "I think we're all quite frustrated."

LeShuttle, which runs the Channel Tunnel service, reported delays of about one and a half hours to train services between Folkestone and Calais due to longer processing times at the border.

On the railways, major engineering works are taking place between London St Pancras International and London Blackfriars, York and Darlington, and Bristol Parkway and Newport, with services not running or significantly altered.