Kent County Council has launched a campaign called Enough is Enough to try to bring an end to the chaos caused in the county by French strikes.

It follows the the latest protests by French fishermen which led to Operation Stack being implemented on the M20.

Council officials are seeking legal opinion as to whether the French State has contravened EU rules regarding the free movement of people and goods.

The council is working with the support of those affected including P&O Ferries, LD Lines and local businesses, to put pressure on the government and to claim compensation from the French government for the millions of pounds that strike action is losing the Kent and UK economies.

KCC Leader Paul Carter said: “When you consider the misery caused to tens of thousands of Kent people affected by the strikes and the impact on their businesses and travel plans, it is time to say enough is enough and show that we cannot and will not put up with these situations any longer.

”We are seeking urgent legal advice to establish whether France has broken the law by allowing the strikes to stop the free movement of people and goods. If this is the case we will press the government to take this up with the French authorities and press for compensation.”

For anyone affected by the impact of these strikes, please email your experiences and comments to enoughisenough@kent.gov.uk so that we can include your opinions in our argument."

P&O Ferries has welcomed the initiative as a means of putting political pressure on the UK and French governments to work together to prevent the recurring closure of the Calais border which, it says, the French government has an international obligation to maintain in accordance with EU law.