Furious truck drivers have scuffled with police around the English port of Dover, as a partial blockade by France designed to contain a highly infectious strand of COVID-19 has stranded thousands before Christmas.
Paris and London agreed late on Tuesday that drivers carrying a negative test result could board transport for Calais in France from Wednesday, after much of the world shut its borders to Britain to contain the fast-spreading new mutated variant.
Britain has begun testing drivers, but has warned severe delays are set to remain for some time and implored freight drivers to avoid areas around what is Britain's most important trade route for food.
Trucks outside the Port of Dover, after freight cannot cross by sea or through the Eurotunnel. Source: EPA
"Testing has begun as we look to get traffic moving again between the UK and France," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.
"However, French border police only acting on agreement from this morning and severe delays continue."
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick warned it may take a "few days" to clear the backlog of trucks waiting to cross into France, despite the travel restrictions being eased.
Huge queues of trucks have been stacked on a motorway heading towards the Channel Tunnel and the port town of Dover in Kent, while others have been parked on the nearby former airport at Manston.
With no sign of traffic to the European mainland resuming and confusion over how to get a coronavirus test, TV footage showed drivers honking their horns and flashing lights in unison in protest.
As tempers flared, there were brief scuffles between a small number of police officers and drivers.
Police said there had been disturbances in Dover and Manston "involving individuals hoping to cross the Channel" and one arrest had been made.
Officials have warned truck drivers not to come to Kent, in England's southeast, despite the border reopening, and stressed none should travel to Dover or the Channel Tunnel site without first being tested for COVID-19.
A man is being arrested at the entrance of the Port of Dover. Source: EPA
Drivers will initially take a rapid lateral flow test.
Anyone who records a positive result will take a more comprehensive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which takes longer to secure a result, and anyone testing positive again will be given a hotel room in which to isolate.
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