Two £142m cross-channel ferries are to sail on the Dover-Calais route.

The ships, measuring 210m long, will be the biggest ever to sail from the Kent port and are largest the port can take.

They will replace P&O's Pride of Dover and Pride of Calais and will have double the freight capacity of the existing ferries.

Finnish shipbuilder Aker Yards has been asked to build the vessels, which will cost £285m

The first is expected to arrive in December 2010.

Super ferries will carry