Marc Mitchell Miles News Today

Around 20,000 people were caught in the chaos, including thousands of children heading on school trips overseas. Passport checks at the French border were the primary cause of delays.

The travel nightmare  saw holiday-goers facing six-hour queues to get through border checks at the Kent port. One ferry firm said today that the tailbacks had finally eased this morning.

Poor weather, long processing times by French border officials and a surge in coach bookings at the start of Easter has left some holidaymakers starting trips abroad in the worst fashion.

Traffic delays began on Friday and passengers hoping to get away for their Easter break will face a few more hours waiting to be processed at border controls and then get on a ferry.