Bowles: Channel chaos unacceptable

3.16.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 20th Apr 2009

Liberal Democrat MEP for Kent, Sharon Bowles, has welcomed the lifting of the handling of the Channel ports blockade.

Holidaymakers and businesses were affected as ferry traffic in the channel ceased, and police in Kent implemented Operation Stack on the M20, causing long queues on roads throughout the county as traffic was diverted off the motorway.

Sharon Bowles said:

"It simply isn't fair to the South East to be continually caught up in transport gridlock whenever French protesters have a dispute with their government.

"The disruption to the South East's transport infrastructure and the freight industry will run into the millions. Meanwhile British businesses and holidaymakers must be wondering what on earth this has to do with them.

"I am now putting down a question in the European Parliament to ask how much compensation France has paid to the UK to compensate for disruptions of this type. It is only fair that those who have been inconvenienced by a political dispute outside of their control should be compensated.

"It is time for the European Commission to show some muscle in dealing with these problems."

ENDS