Extra 800 members of the British Armed forces being sent to Dover on Christmas day to carry out COVID19 Testing

An extra  are to be sent to Kent on Christmas Day to help clear a backlog of thousands of lorries waiting to cross to France.

About 6,000 lorries, Private Coaches and vehicles an are still waiting to cross the English Channel after the French closed their border with the UK. Many are now reporting that they are now running low on fuel to run their cab heating and are in urgent need for food water and fuel.

Drivers must test negative for Covid-19 before boarding a train or ferry testing is now being carried out 24 hours a day. Operation Stack, Dover Tap and Sandwich Tap are now all in operation.

The extra support will take the number of military personnel delivering testing to drivers in Kent to about 1,100.

Four other Police forces have also bee called in from the Met, West Mercia, Hampshire with further officers from the West Midlands on route.

French firefighters have been supporting the testing effort, while the Polish defence minister said in a tweet that a team of territorial army soldiers would be sent to Kent.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that of the 2,367 drivers tested by 12:00pm  on Christmas Eve, three have tested positive.

Ferries will continue to operate over Christmas, they will only be operating a service from Dover to France one way.