Traffic chaos has led to Ashford being virtually gridlocked this morning.

Operation Stack has closed the M20 in both directions between Ashford and Maidstone, but traffic leaving the M20 at junction 10 has been snarled up heading for the A20.

To add to the problems, there has been an accident on the M20 betwen junctions 9 and 10 and another on the A20 at Charing – the Operation Stack diversion route.

Drivers trying to avoid the M20 have also been caught up in jams as others try to do the same.

Ashford MP Damian Green has demanded action.

“We can’t put up with this any longer,” he said. “There was a summit about Operation Stack in February and when I heard about it being implemented again this week, my first thought was, what has happened.

“In a couple of weeks a report will go to transport ministers so we can crack on with doing something. I have alerted the ministers to the fatc that they will be getting these proposals and urging them to act as quickly as they can so we don’t have to put up with this any longer.”

Mr Green said he did not know what the proposals would be, but hoped some could be implemented as quickly as possible.

“Some things like building lorry parks will take longer, but we diverting lorries to other ports can be done quickly,” he said.

Water and food has been provided for stranded drivers caught up in Operation Stack.

Kent County Council came up with 2,000 bottles of water and 750 snack meals on Tuesday plus another 5,000 bottles plus 200 meals today.

The food and water is being distributed along the closed stretch of the M20 by the police, firefighters and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Help has also come from the Red Cross and volunteers who have been providing tea, coffee and snacks.