Stranded holidaymakers in 24-hour Dover chaos believe it is punishment by France for leaving the EU
"Brexit voters in the queue for Dover must be loving all that border control," quipped one person on Twitter
ENORMOUS 24-hour traffic jams in Dover have sparked an online debate over Brexit, with some Twitter users claiming the French are creating queues as punishment for Britain leaving the EU.
As 250,000 holidaymakers sit stranded in 12-mile traffic chaos, social media has erupted with frustrated motorists, some of whom have been forced to sleep in their cars overnight, accusing French officials of putting just one border guard on duty as payback for voting to leave.
Drivers headed to European holiday destinations from Dover are faced with 30 degree heat as well as tailbacks stretching for up to 12 miles and the news that the jam will last for another "36 to 46 hours".
French border authorities have been blamed for the colossal queues that are putting holiday plans on hold during the busiest weekend of summer.
Port of Dover officials slammed the border police, saying they had been warned about the lack of staff this week.
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French authorities responded saying the delays were due to a nationwide security boost in the wake of the Nice terror attack.
But the traffic standstill has divided opinion online, and suspicions were raised after it was discovered just one French border guard was assigned to check the hundreds of coaches travelling through the port.
Many speculated the chaos is 'revenge' for the British vote to exit the EU. Some also mocked Brexiters, saying they got what they wanted - stricter border controls.
Other social media users were not convinced by the claims that the French had planned the chaos.
As the dual carriageway chaos intensified, with some cars even reportedly driving on the wrong side of the motorway in a bid to escape the queuing, Police drafted a helicopter to distribute 11,000 bottles of water to stranded motorists.
Many people abandoned their cars to play football and search for food, while others started cooking meals with camping equipment in their vehicles.
The row between Port of Dover Officials and French Border Authorities saw the port staff 'appreciate the frustration of the public'.
A spokesman for the port of Dover Issued a statement indicating the French were responsible for the chaos.
He said: “We have been experiencing an exceptional security situation at French border controls.
"The Port of Dover, which has no authority over French border operations, raised concerns over French manning levels with the UK Government earlier this week and the Government, in turn, raised the issue with its French counterparts.
“French Border Authorities have been operating at a heightened level of security.
“However, the French border control booths were seriously understaffed overnight. At one stage, only one French officer was available to check passengers on hundreds of coaches, resulting in each coach taking 40 minutes to process.
“The Port shares and appreciates the frustration of the public. We are doing all we can as a responsible port operator.”
But across the channel, French officals at the Calais port said: “Since the Nice attacks, our priority has been to strengthen vigilance and security measures in the department.
"Border controls have been strengthened by police, especially at the site of Eurotunnel and the port of Calais. Police are conducting random checks on all major roads.”
Meanwhile Dover's MP told the Government to "get a grip" as thousands of holidaymakers were trapped in traffic jams where road temperatures could reach 35 Celsius.
Charlie Elphicke, MP for Dover and Deal, said the mayhem, which is causing queues of up to six hours today, should have been predicted and prevented.
He also blasted Highways England as "not fit for purpose" as families queued for up to 12 miles over the weekend.
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