Families and schoolchildren caught up in Dover coach chaos tell of 17 HOUR waits trends now
Furious parents say their children have been left waiting at Dover for up to 17 hours as the chaos at the Port runs into a third day.
Poor weather, long processing times by French border officials and a surge in coach bookings at the start of the Easter break has left some holidaymakers beginning their trips abroad in the worst possible fashion.
Additional ferry services were put on overnight in a bid to clear the backlog, but despite claims from the Port things would be back to normal by midday, coaches still face a 10-hour wait on Sunday afternoon.
Today one parent hit out at the treatment of children who were left stuck on coaches overnight and only given 'a KitKat at midnight' for food as they tried to get through customs.
One father said he was forced to walk for 45 minutes from the port to the town of Dover in a bid to get food for his family and that people are struggling to find free drinking water.
Dozens of coaches sit waiting to clear border control at the Port of Dover on Sunday, April 2, as travel chaos continues for a third day
Schoolchildren sit next to their coach after it was stopped in a holding pen at the Port of Dover on Sunday, April 2
Ferry operators P&O and DFDS first reported disruption to their services on Friday night, with the latter saying strong winds were adding to the problem.
Officials added that ferry companies had received 15 per cent more coach bookings over the Easter holidays than expected, with the process of bringing coaches on board being slower than loading cars, the BBC reports.
By Saturday evening P&O Ferries said there were waits of up to 10 hours - five to reach the cruise terminal, and another five in a holding zone for coaches.
It said it was putting on additional crossings overnight to help clear the backlog, but as of Sunday afternoon coaches were still left waiting for more than 10 hours, according to the firm.
On Twitter P&O Ferries wrote: 'Coaches arriving at Cruise Terminal 1 have an approx. wait of 4 hours during which API will be completed, you will then be called down to join the buffer zone at the Port of Dover where there is a further 6+ hour wait.'
This will come as little comfort for people on coaches trying to cross the Channel to Europe, many of who are schoolchildren going on trips abroad.
One coachload of schoolchildren were left starving after being stuck at the port for more than 15 hours and only being given a KitKat at midnight for food, according to parents.
Gillian Charlton, 43, said her son Ned, 13, and his friends have been in a holding area since arriving at the Kent port at around 7.30pm last night
The students set off for their ski trip at 9.30am Saturday morning from Chorley, Lancashire, and had been expecting to catch an overnight ferry before continuing their journey by coach to Pila, Aosta Valley, Italy.
But mum Gillian said they waited for 14 hours before being moved up to passport control and have now been waiting for a further two hours - with no sign of movement.
Gillian Charlton (pictured) said she was 'fuming' after her son Ned was stuck in a queue for more than 15 hours at the port
Coach passengers step off their vehicles as they wait to get onto their ferries to France on Sunday, April 2
The delays have been caused by poor weather and delays at border control, the port says. Pictured: Coaches lining up at border control on Sunday, April 2
She said the children are only allowed to get off to use a portaloo and were given one KitKat at midnight.
Gillian, a social care worker, from Chorley, Lancashire, said: 'It's shambolic.
'I don't think they have access to running water and can't get off - only to use the portaloo.
'They were given a KitKat at midnight. Children are feeling unsafe. They are all starving.'
Gillian said her son Ned had been really looking forward to the ski trip and the family had been saving up to make sure he could go.
She said there are hundreds of coaches behind her son's coach but cars are 'flying through'.
Gillian said: 'I'm disgusted. My son said there are hundred coaches behind them - and I think it's mainly school kids.
'I sent him off with food for the day and they had breakfast vouchers to get food in France in the morning.
'I'm fuming. The fact that it's mainly school children penned in.
'They should have restricted the bookings. They know how many people turn up at the ports. I'm so worried.'
Her views were echoed by Marc Mitchell-Miles, 47, whose daughter Lily set off from Weston-super-Mare at 3pm on Saturday with school friends for a week long ski trip in Italy.
The party of 100 students -who are travelling on two coaches - arrived at the Portof Dover in Kent at 8pm on Saturday evening, but have not moved since.
Father-of-two Marc said: 'As parents we're terribly upset and worried that they're having to go through this and I can't be there to provide comfort and reassurance in person.
'We can't settle until we know what's going on.
'There is also the cost of the trip which they're going to be missing out on a sizeable chunk of.
'It cost around £900 for the trip, but then there is also spending money and ski lessons before going on top of this.
'We wanted this to be a memorable experience, but not for this reason.
'The coach left Weston-super-Mare around 3pm yesterday and arrived at 8pm last night.
'They have just been advised that it could be another nine-hour wait.
'They have not been given any food by the port.
'My daughter just spoke to me and said she and her friends have gone out to find and buy some sandwiches.
'They're tired from the journey up and have had zero sleep, and she feels like she just wants to come home and is quite teary.
'Lily missed her school camp in Year Six
