The Port of Dover has recorded its busiest ever year for freight - but the town's MP wants increased congestion to be managed better.

Nearly 2.5m vehicles shipped goods through the White Cliffs’ docks last year, a growth of 9.7%.

The figure is 2.5% higher than the previous record year of 2007, when 2.36m freight vehicles travelled through the port.

Bosses believe the news will highlight the importance of ports to the UK economy ahead of the general election in May.

Yet the town's MP, Charlie Elphicke, said the port must do more to tackle travel disruption as the levels of freight traffic increases.

The most recent UK growth forecasts suggest the economy grew by 3% over the last year, with the port citing its 2.42m freight vehicles is an expansion by more than three times that figure.

Port of Dover chief executive Tim Waggott said: “If you want to see how the UK economy is doing, come and see what is happening at the Port of Dover.

“We are smashing records whilst rebuilding parts of the port in order to provide new infrastructure that will support further anticipated growth in the years to come.

“In effectively handling such volumes of UK trade, the Port is establishing itself as a national economic success story.”

Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke said: "These figures are really encouraging and show how far we have come over the past five years.

"Yet the port needs to manage this success better.

"Too often recently there has been congestion and tailbacks in the town.

"This is damaging to the town and the wider economy.

"People in Dover are deeply unhappy and rightly looking to the port to make swift improvements to traffic management."