An ambulance had to be driven on the wrong side of the road due to vehicles heading to the Port of Dover blocking its way through.

Holiday and freight traffic to the town’s ferry terminal have been backing up since the early hours as transport bosses prepare for an influx of people heading through Kent for the Bank Holiday and half-term getaway.

The emergency vehicle, with its siren and blue lights on, was held up as it went down the A2 Jubilee Way at about 10.20am today.It was heading towards the town centre when the crew faced a long queue of traffic as the roads to the port began to fill during a mass exodus by holidaymakers just before the start of the school half term holiday.

A policeman stopped oncoming traffic so the ambulance was able to get safety down the curve of the road.

It was then able to return to the correct side of the carriageway at Townwall Street.

Traffic built up this morning but was able to move slowly with brief delays.

The queue on on the A20 Townwall Street went from the Dover Eastern Docks roundabout a few hundred yards to the Woolcomber Street junction.

Drivers this morning took 10 minutes to get between those points.

Police controlled the traffic by briefly alternating between holding up vehicles on Townwall Street and then Jubilee Way.

Arterial routes in Dover town like Folkestone Road and Maison Dieu Road remained clear this morning.

In previous incidents when the traffic is at its worst these routes have also been clogged up.

Our reporter in Dover this morning said roads were clearing at about 11am.

Highway chiefs have implemented the lorry-queuing system Operation Brock on the M20 today.

This sees trucks forced to join a contraflow system on the coastbound carriageway on the motorway from J8 at Maidstone and onwards to J9 at Ashford.

Remaining traffic is sent on to the Londonbound carriageway which is split and made a two-lane 50mph average speed check.

In addition to Brock, the Dover TAP system is also in place today.

This sees lorries queue between Folkestone and Dover along the A20 while the road is reduced to one lane.

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesperson said:“Our ambulance crews are trained to drive to the conditions roads present including heavier traffic.

“As ever, we ask that drivers are vigilant of any emergency vehicle looking to make its way through traffic and to closely follow the instructions of police officers if they are directing traffic.”