The boss of the UK’s busiest port has warned the Government to follow through with planned investment in Kent’s roads unless it wants to create trade barriers which will damage the UK economy post-Brexit.

Tim Waggott, the chief executive of the Port of Dover, said Britain became strong by trading internationally and raised concerns that any slowdown in spending on roads would impact the facility’s ability to support businesses.

Around £119 billion of trade goes through the transport hub annually, with freight traffic up 30% in the last three years. The Government predicts there will be a 40% growth by 2030.

Mr Waggott said the site, which supports 5,000 to 6,000 direct jobs, and 22,000 indirectly, could be unable to support the county’s economy if a messy exit from the EU damages the Government’s ability to invest in Kent’s road network.

He called for the Lower Thames Crossing to be approved, improvements to the M2 and A2 and for a lorry park to deal with Operation Stack, which caused more than 30 days of disruption to the county last year.

He said: “This nation became strong by having entrepreneurs and trading internationally.

“If we put up the barriers to trade of any form, we will not be a success and entrepreneurs will go away from this country. A post-Brexit world needs to be about trade.

“We need to lobby government to invest in the road network. That means a Lower Thames Crossing, M2/A2 improvements and a lorry park in Kent.”

Emphasising his point about the need to keep traffic moving, he said: “It’s Dover, not Dartford. We all know what it’s like there at busy times. My plea to government is don’t let the ports become like Dartford Crossing.”

Mr Waggott’s comments came at a conference, 100 Days on from the EU Referendum, run by the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) at KIMS Hospital in Maidstone.

Tom Tugendhat, the MP for Tonbridge and Malling, who campaigned for the remain side, said businesses must contact their MPs as the Government builds its policy plans ahead of triggering Article 50, the process of leaving the EU.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Theresa May revealed the Government aims to begin negotiations by March next year, meaning the UK will likely leave by spring 2019.

Mr Tugendhat said: “It’s clear to me that discussions are being made in Whitehall but none of them are fully formed. Now is the time to make your voice heard.

“Over the next 12 months the decisions that are going to be taken are going to change your lives fundamentally.

“The discussions on the free movement of people will change the way you can employ people, change your access to labour and may change your ability to negotiate with suppliers.

“Unfortunately things are already creating issues. If you want to have a say and you think your business matters you must get your voice heard. Get in touch with your MP. If you get your MP to understand what matters to you then you have a direct influence.”