• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Army drafted in as thousands of hauliers remain stuck in Kent

Barry Sheerman said it was a shame that the PM nor any members of his cabinet didn't have the courage to pay them a visit.

Jack Peat by Jack Peat
2020-12-26 09:13
in News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Thousands of international lorry drivers will spend Boxing Day in their cabs after almost a week of disruption at the English Channel border.

Around 3,000 hauliers were still waiting to cross into France from Kent on Friday evening despite hundreds of troops being drafted in to help clear the backlog.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said, while 4,500 lorries had crossed the channel since French authorities eased restrictions on Wednesday, more vehicles were continuing to arrive “every hour”.

Thanks to all the hauliers in #Kent for their patience & to everyone on the ground working tirelessly to help after the French border was suddenly closed.

Over 10,000 tests have taken place & over 4,500 HGVs are back over the Channel. ?@DefenceHQ working to keep things moving pic.twitter.com/JVcEHd7vRQ

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) December 25, 2020

Military personnel

France closed its border last Sunday following the discovery of a fast-spreading mutant Covid-19 strain in the UK, causing severe disruptions at the Port of Dover.

Drivers wishing to enter the country from the UK must now show proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken in the past 72 hours.

Some 1,100 military personnel have since been deployed to Kent to help test hauliers queued at the nearby Manston Airport, on a closed section of the M20, and in the town of Dover itself.

Some drivers have already spent nearly a week stranded due to the diplomatic impasse.

Shame on you

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said more than 10,000 Covid-19 tests have been carried out so far, of which 24 returned a positive result.

He said: “The British Army is again showing why it is world class, ramping up testing and feeding hauliers stranded by the Covid restrictions, while helping oversee the operation in Kent.

RelatedPosts

Death toll rises to 2,300 after powerful earthquake hits Turkey and Syria

RMT secures free travel for 5,800 TfL cleaners

Mike Galsworthy responds to Daily Mail’s ‘dinner with a Rejoiner’ crib sheet

Truss to step back into political limelight

“But let’s not forget the tireless effort of the police, civilian testers, council planners and port and ferry workers.

“These thousands of people, military and civilians, have given up their Christmas to help drivers separated from their loved ones through no fault of their own.”

Thousands of truck drivers stranded in dire circumstances at Dover & the Prime Minister nor any member of his cabinet with the courage to pay them a visit on Christmas Day #ShameonYou

— Barry Sheerman MP (@BarrySheerman) December 25, 2020

However Labour MP Barry Sheerman tweeted: “Thousands of truck drivers stranded in dire circumstances at Dover & the Prime Minister nor any member of his cabinet with the courage to pay them a visit on Christmas Day #ShameonYou”.

Operation Zumbach

Army personnel had tested more than 6,200 drivers as of Christmas Day, while also being tasked with distributing food and water, the MoD said.

Traffic was moving smoothly through Dover on Friday, with French firefighters and the Polish military’s Territorial Defence Force also drafted in to help with testing.

Poland has codenamed its operation Zumbach, after the Polish Second World War pilot Jan Zumbach, who fought for the allies in the Battle of Britain, the country’s UK embassy said.

Germany’s ambassador to the UK, Andreas Michaelis, said some German hauliers had managed to make it home for Christmas, while others remained in Kent.

He tweeted: “Some of the German lorry drivers we’ve been in touch with are on their way home or at home already. Others sadly remain stuck.

“I sincerely hope things will start moving for them soon. This is a difficult Christmas. Our thoughts are with them.”

Good news from Dover: Some of the German lorry drivers we've been in touch with are on their way home or at home already. Others sadly remain stuck. I sincerely hope things will start moving for them soon. This is a difficult Christmas. Our thoughts are with them. pic.twitter.com/K1LfIXI0TY

— Andreas Michaelis (@GermanAmbUK) December 25, 2020

Muslim community

Various individuals and organisations have volunteered to help the stranded drivers by providing them with food and drink.

Mubashir Ahmad Siddiqi, 60, and his two 20-year-old sons Qasim and Hamza, from Barking in east London, spent six hours helping to prepare 1,000 portions of chicken biryani on Friday for those stuck in Kent.

Mr Siddiqi said: “Ten of us from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and the Ahmadiyya Muslim youth association managed to drop off over 1,000 meals, 1,200 chocolate bars and drinks for the lorry drivers.”

He added: “It’s a great feeling to be able to help those who are alone at the moment and we hope that through our humble efforts we were able to cheer them up with the food packages.”

HM Coastguard said its teams in the Dover area had also delivered 3,000 hot meals, 600 pizzas, 2,985 packed lunches and 17 pallets of water to those waiting.

The MoD said 800 additional soldiers were deployed on Friday as part of Operation Rose to support the 300 personnel already there.

Related: 2020 in review: Elect a clown, expect a circus

Content Protection by DMCA.com

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Lotto Results for Wednesday 1 December 2021 Lottery Tonight’s winning numbers

OAP who saved up pension for dream Benidorm holiday says it was ruined due to ‘too many Spaniards’

Youth worker was stabbed to death by a gang of up to six men after his car was rammed

Beer of the Week: Small Beer Summer of ’21 Organic IPA

14-y-o girl, battling cancer for third time, has successful surgery after raising over £340,000

Four cleared over toppling statue of Colston as Council slammed for trying to prosecute defendants

Russia launches ‘full-scale invasion’ on Ukraine

Watch: Tommy Robinson pleas “I haven’t done anything” as he’s arrested at Hyde Park rally

Trouble on Wearside

Plastic food packaging can contain hundreds of chemicals and serious damage to humans is revealed

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.