Efforts to bring lorry drivers in Kent home to the continent could yet be undermined by adverse weather conditions as some ferries wait to berth.

P&O tweeted this morning to say its ships are not currently able to dock at Dover due to conditions brought on by Storm Bella, adding the current situation would be reviewed shortly.

Poor weather including gale force winds of up to 70mphs and showers have affected Kent and the Dover strait.

The Met Office advised the sea channel will be "slight or moderate becoming rough or very rough" with occasional reduced visibility.

A monumental testing effort supported by more than 1,000 members of the armed forces saw a backlog of truckers waiting at Manston Airport cleared to travel home yesterday.

Emergency teams worked non-stop, carrying out almost 16,000 Covid-19 tests on drivers stuck at the site, on the M20 and at the Port of Dover.

But just as the lorry crisis appeared to be nearing an end, Storm Bella moved in.

The Port of Dover is working with emergency services and the Army to try and get the remainder of stranded truckers home.

It says there were some delays overnight as some vessels needed to shelter at the peak of the storm.

The port has remained operational throughout with freight continuing to be shipped when safe to do so.

Meanwhile ferry operator DFDS tweeted this morning to say it would still be running services but with delays due to the weather conditions and advised those wanting to travel to check back for updates.

The company says it carried 1,846 lorries to France on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

This included running return sailings to both Calais and Dunkirk on Christmas Day for the first time ever. In total, it shipped 1,228 freight units yesterday on the two routes.

Sailings have continued today and DFDS says it has planned enough capacity on both days to ship more than 2,000 units each day, but ongoing logistical issues with getting freight to the port meant that traffic was reaching the ships slower than anticipated.

And issues could be compounded further by Storm Bella, with the ferry service saying yesterday it was a "wait and see" approach.

A spokesman for DFDS said: "The ferries would usually continue to operate, but with the gusts expected, it’s possible that the port may have to close.

"If this happens, obviously that will impact DFDS’ ability to sail."

It comes amid week of chaos in which lorry drivers were stranded on the M20 and at Manston Airport since France put in place - and later lifted - a ban on all inbound travel from the UK after news of a more virulent Covid-19 strain.

A condition of entry is now a negative coronavirus test, leading to a huge operation to swab all drivers hoping to cross The Channel.

On Christmas Eve more than 3,000 lorries remained stuck at Manston, but as of midday yesterday the site had been cleared.

There are still 1,600 stuck in Operation Brock, but two lanes between Ashford and Hollingbourne have now opened to all traffic, but more than 8,000 HGVs have crossed the border via Eurotunnel or the Port of Dover since December 23.

Of 15,526 drivers tested, 36 have returned positive results.

Passengers for DFDS services are reminded to check the operator's Twitter feed @DFDSUKUpdates and its website at www.dfds.com for the latest updates over the weekend.

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