Lorries caught up by Operation Stack could be diverted off the motorway and held instead on nearby agricultural land, according to the leader of Kent County Council.

Cllr Paul Carter said that what he described as a marshalling yard for HGVs would allow normal traffic to continue to use the M20.

His words come just days after lorry drivers were caught up in "unprecedented" delays after French ferry workers brought the motorway to a standstill during industrial action.

Truckers were forced to queue for days in searing heat while sections of the M20 were shut last week.

KCC scrapped plans for a super-sized lorry park off the M20 several years ago and instead has proposed a series of smaller lorry parks, which would be open all year round.

Mr Carter said he has initiated discussions with Highways England over the idea, saying it could stop the county becoming gridlocked while Operation Stack was in place.

“The most important thing in my view is to have an immediate marshalling yard, where - when Operation Stack happens - instead of queuing up on the M20, lorries are diverted to a marshalling area where they are then controlled by the police.”

He added: “Highways England are being very sensitive about health and safety issues involved in parking on the hard shoulder and not allowing any traffic to flow on any of the carriageways adjoining the coned off area. That has caused additional problems.”

“The suggestion is that if traffic is not allowed to pass lorries, could we not have some parts of the motorway with some kind of hinged barriers? We could then prepare the agricultural ground the other side of the barrier and park many more lorries that side.”

He said the authority was also discussing options to create more capacity at Stop24, the services at Junction 11 of the M20.

“We need to strike while the iron is hot and get a solution that is funded. It is not just one solution; it is a combination of a number of actions being implemented over the next few years.”

He also indicated KCC continued to believe that a site at Westenhanger in Shepway could be used for a lorry park - despite the leader of the local council Cllr David Monk describing it as bonkers.

“There is the site in Shepway which is a bit contentious with the council but which I think is ideally suited to give capacity for 1,500 to 2,000 spaces for lorries quickly,” said Mr Carter.

He also called for the government to develop a national network of lorry parks in the country.

“You can drive all the way across mainland Europe into Eastern Europe and every motorway has parking for lorries when their tachographs run out. We do not and that is a significant piece of infrastructure that is needed.

A series of lorry parks in the south of England where lorries could be held and not allowed into Kent could ease the pressure and the need to trigger Operation Stack, he said.