The Home Office has agreed to stump up more than £14m for Kent Police to cover the cost of patrolling the border over Christmas and new year.

Kent Police say it cost an extra £1.2m to manage the border when thousands of lorries trying to get to the Continent were stranded over Christmas.

The delays happened when France suddenly closed its border to anyone travelling from the UK on Sunday, December 20 and then announced only those with a negative Covid test could enter from the following day.

On this side of the Channel police had to clear more than 14,500 HGVs trapped around Dover and Folkestone, liaise with the drivers, provide hot meals and help set up Covid testing sites at Manston.

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott said: “I am delighted that the Government has provided this funding to Kent. I have always believed that the costs of policing national issues should be met centrally, not just by Kent council tax payers. I am pleased that ministers have agreed to this request.”

At the height of the disruption Kent called in help from other forces including Hampshire, Leicestershire and West Mercia. The majority of officers were put on extended shifts or given extra shifts over Christmas.

Kit Malthouse, the minister for crime and policing, has also awarded the force £850,000 for policing the Napier Barracks asylum centre in Folkestone during demonstrations and a fire.

Mr Malthouse has also set aside up to £14m for Kent Police for managing the implementation of Brexit when the UK left the EU on January 1.

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