Nearly 3,000 lorries stuck en-route to the UK-French border can begin moving after the French government agreed to ease Sunday's travel ban introduced over fears of a new fast-spreading Covid variant.

French citizens, British nationals living in France and hauliers are among those now able to travel - if they have a recent negative Covid test.

Under the new agreement with France, rapid "lateral flow" tests will be used, which can detect the new variant and give a result in about 30 minutes. Soldiers have joined NHS Test and Trace staff in Kent to carry out rapid tests on stranded lorry drivers.

Ministers have urged lorry drivers not to travel to Kent, saying it will take "a few days" to clear the backlog. Manston Airport (pictured) near Kent has been used to cope with lorries waiting to depart the UK as part of the Brexit contingency plan "Operation Fennel".

The Channel is a vital trade route, with about 10,000 lorries a day travelling between Dover and Calais at Christmas

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