Around 10 times the usual number of foot passengers have passed through the Port of Dover in recent days, it was revealed today.

The port usually handles about 400 people a day but the air and train chaos has pushed the number of travellers up to around 4000.

Commuters queued for hours at St Pancras International in London as Eurostar services were severely affected.

Eurostar continue to suffer "operational delays" with speed restrictions on the line.

This is adding up to two hours to journey times.

Heathrow airport had passengers waiting at check in for hours and even days as BAA struggled to clear the snow from runways.

This is the third time in the last year that the ferries at the Port of Dover have had an enforced surge in the number of people on board.

The volcanic ash cloud crisis in April caused a huge rise in the number of passengers, as did the Eurostar problems when it snowed in the winter of 2009.

The ferry services normally take about 50 foot passengers each way per trip but measures have been taken by companies to increase the capacity to allow for about 250.

The Port of Dover's director of operations at Robin Dodridge said: "Though we didn't expect the rise in passengers, we have planned for it.

"The previous Eurostar and volcanic ash problems gave us a real chance to exercise those plans.

"Unlike the volcanic ash crisis earlier in the year where the number of passengers kept going up and up, I think we are at the peak of the rise now.

"I suspect today will be similar to the past few days and it will drop away tomorrow as the snowfall ends in the south of the UK.

"At the end of November when we heard that poor weather was on the way we started to get in some emergency supplies of everything from baby milk and nappies to toothbrushes and toothpaste.

"Often travellers reach us after many days of problems elsewhere on their route and they are in need of some of the most basic supplies.

"These conditions do not really affect the ferries at all. We haven't seen any icebergs yet."