Ministers will today come under pressure to drop plans to use the M26 as a lorry park in the event of disruption and delays caused by a no-deal Brexit.

The government has faced accusations of secrecy over its contingency plan with MPs and others saying they had been kept in the dark.

Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat, who has led criticisms of the proposal, will use a debate in the Commons to highlight concerns over the impact that using the M26 in west Kent will have on the area.

Speaking ahead of the debate, the MP said there remained serious questions about the scheme and if used, it would almost certainly bring severe levels of disruption to local communities.

“I will be holding the government to account for its unworkable plan to close the M26 to increase lorry holding capacity," he said.

"This is a key road which, if shut, would cause chaos in the local area and virtually cut off villages.

“I look forward to hearing from the Department for Transport on what steps it is taking to ensure that any road closure will provide appropriate mitigations for the local community affected and engage in meaningful discussions with all residents and businesses affected.

“I’ll be making it clear that the M26 is unsuitable for parking HGVs and there are other better options for its contingency planning.”

Transport Secretary of State Chris Grayling has apologised for the way details of the scheme emerged but says it would enable traffic to keep moving through Kent.