Up to 2,000 Britons were stranded in Calais last night after striking French workers blockaded the port.
Passengers said they were preparing to bed down in their cars after French workers obstructed the port with lifeboats in protest at prospective job losses in the sale of the MyFerryLink service.
The Channel tunnel was struggling to cope with the additional pressure, with Eurotunnel warning that it was only accepting passengers at Calais with pre-booked tickets.
Natacha Bouchart, the mayor of Calais, said she regretted that the port was being taken “hostage”. Travellers were being urged to contact their travel operator before setting off.
Britons trying to return home said they had been stuck for hours waiting for news as storms lashed the coast.
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George Miller, 53, who was with his family, said: “We arrived at 7pm for a ferry supposed to leave at 8pm, and we were told there would be a delay because it was rough at sea. We waited an hour and then we saw a flare come up. We didn’t receive any notification from DFDS [the ferry operator], and we’ve been stuck in the car since then.”
Paul Sheers, 39, was on his way back to Dover with his parents after a holiday in the Alps. Last night they were waiting in Dunkirk for another ferry, having been rerouted by DFDS Seaways from Calais. He said: “We were told to remove our boarding hangers and make our way to Dunkirk. It’s pretty atrocious weather here. Lashing it down with rain, lots of lightning. I feel sorry for those stupid workers down there in the rain.”
A statement handed to passengers by P&O said that ferries were unable to leave or enter Calais. “We have no information on how long this will last but negotiations are ongoing to resolve the situation as soon as possible,” it said.
DFDS Seaways said its Malo Seaways ferry was waiting for permission to enter the Port of Calais, while Calais Seaways may have to be diverted to Dunkirk.
The strike took place a day before a visit to Calais by Manuel Valls, the French prime minister. It added to a summer of unrest at the port town, where migrants have frequently disrupted Channel tunnel services.