Families heading home from Calais are facing delays of up to 12 hours with mammoth queues building up.

People returning to Dover on P&O services have told KentOnline of the “carnage” and chaos at the French port as drivers battle in queues to get home.

A spokeswoman for the Port of Calais confirmed the issues are due to “delays at border controls” but assured the teams “are doing their utmost to give travellers the best possible welcome”.

But one witness has reported that at one point they estimated “they moved 200 meters in three hours”.

Meanwhile, one mum, Megan, said her family and other customers “have not been told” why they are facing long delays and have been left “to work out it themselves”.

The Herne Bay resident arrived at the port at 4pm in order to get on the 7pm boat but she has now been allotted a place on the 9.05pm ship across the channel.

She told KentOnline other people in the queues could be there for longer as the next trips back to England are at 10.30pm and 1.25am with some arriving as early as lunchtime for their original sailings.

They have received text updates from P&O telling customers the times of these services.

“Carnage isn’t the right word for it,” she said. “It would be understandable if there was some organisation but it was a dash to get on the ferry.

“People were shouting and beeping at each other as people tried to get in front of each other.

“It’s been like a car park because there has been no organisation and no one telling people where to go and what lane to be in so everyone has been vying for the same spaces.

“If you didn’t push your way through someone would cut you up.

“It’s been so frustrating as we haven’t been told what gone wrong but we have been lucky to get on.

“My five-year-old has been great throughout but I have seen another family where they had three small boys.

“Other people who arrived before us have been waiting ages.

“Normally we take the Eurotunnel but thought it would be fun to take the ferry. It also saved us £40 but it was definitely not worth it.”

She added because of the disorganisation they had been watching intently to avoid losing their place in the queue which has left them feeling drained and struggling to find activities to pass the time.

Another person stuck in the chaos was Louise Reardon along with her five and six-year-olds.

The family’s ferry home was at 5.20pm so they arrived at the port around 4.20pm.

However, they would have to wait until the 9.05pm service to get home after it took them three hours to get through to the front of the queue.

The 36-year-old mum who lives in Felbridge near East Grinsted, said she saw “families were screaming and beeping at each other in frustration”.

She added: “We were meant to get home about 8.30pm but instead were home at 1am.

“There was no one to direct traffic or explain anything so it was horrendous.

“My kids had been in the car since 10.30am and despite everything put up with so much.”

The Port of Calais spokeswoman said: “This weekend is very busy in terms of tourist traffic with the British returning from their holidays and German fans turning out in large numbers to watch the Champions League football final [at Wembley] tomorrow.

“There are indeed delays at border controls. All the teams at the port and at the shipping companies are doing their utmost to give travellers the best possible welcome.”