Xmas stockpiling, Brexit cause huge queues in Kent

Lorries queued for several miles on the approach to the English port of Folkstone on Saturday as Christmas shopping and uncertainty over Brexit sparked a short-term spike in demand. Vehicles were backed up on a stretch of the M20 highway from an area near Ashford to the Eurotunnel in Folkestone, which connects the UK with mainland Europe.

The queues came as the UK and EU continue last-minute negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal beyond December 31, when Britain will leave the EU's single market trading bloc.

If a deal doesn't come into effect in the new year, lorries without adequate paperwork may not be allowed into Europe. The European Parliament has set a Sunday night deadline for the talks to give it enough time to approve an agreement before the transition period ends.