Sorry, this video asset has been removed.

Dover Harbour Board chief executive Bob Goldfield has writen to all Unite union members at the port asking them to reconsider further industrial action.

More than 300 workers finished their first 48-hour stoppage at 7am on Thursday, but say they will walk out again - this time for three days - next week.

Mr Goldfield said he was writing to each of the workers bringing them up to date with the situation, asking them to reconsider their strike action, and urging their officials to accept an invitation to talks.

“I am urging all staff to lobby UNITE to come to the table to discuss the detail of the transfers as time is running out,” said Mr Goldfield.

“It is highly regrettable that UNITE and those who purport to support the action continue to give misleading and blatantly wrong information to the families of those on strike.

"Their behaviour is totally counter-productive and only wastes valuable time and costs DHB families money.”

Dover MP Gwyn Prosser has said Mr Goldfield's position is fast becoming untenable after it was revealed that the three main ferry companies had raised a series of concerns about plans to transfer 190 staff to private contractors.

But the letter was written in September, and Mr Goldfield said more meetings had been held since then, and most of the points raised by the ferry operators had been resolved.

Ferries continued to operate throughout the 48-hour strike this week, with other harbour board staff, managers and a dozen private contractors carrying out the work which would normally be done by the striking workers.

The board said that more than 17,202 freight vehicles, 40,952 passengers, 7,453 cars and 172 coaches were handled during the strike "in line with expected traffic levels".

French port workers who have a long-running dispute with their employers over hours and pensions, may strike within the next two weeks, but Mr Goldfield said this was not connected with the Dover situation.