Freight forwarders must be allowed to enter France from the port of Dover today as supermarket shelves will run short in the UK if the situation is not resolved, experts have warned.
“Timing is critical” with Dover’s backlog of trucks, industry insiders say as panicked shoppers queued outside supermarkets at 5:30 this morning.
The warnings come from the British Retail Consortium, the trade association for British retailers, which has reassured the UK public that enough groceries are available for Christmas.
All the ingredients and products that are needed for a traditional Christmas dinner are already in the country and are available to consumers.
However, if empty trucks to France are not allowed to fill up, there will be a shortage of fresh produce, with the supply of lettuce, vegetables and fresh fruit being most at risk as these are usually imported from the continent at this time of year.
Andrew Opie, BRC’s director of food and sustainability, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “To be very clear, there is certainly no problem for Christmas.
“Right now there is plenty of food in the supply chain and in stores so nobody has to worry about food for Christmas dinner. There is enough food for everyone and we can all shop normally.
“But there may be a problem right after Christmas and it’s really with fresh produce. So we’re talking about things like lettuce, vegetables, and fresh fruit, the vast majority of which are from Europe at this point.
‘Timing is absolutely critical. This needs to be resolved. The boundaries really have to be pretty free from tomorrow to make sure there are no disruptions.
“To give just one example: 90 percent of our salads and around 70 percent of our berries arrive via these canal ports at this time of year.
“These ports operate several crossings every day. These are perishable products. You cannot put them in a container and take them to another port. They have to be brought up from Spain.”
Shoppers in a Sainsbury’s store in London were seen filling their trollies with Christmas groceries on Tuesday morning

At that shop in Balham, south London, several people queued outside this morning as shoppers queued for groceries across the UK

Supermarket queues grew at this Waitrose store in London on Tuesday morning for fear of shortages

Long lines of shoppers formed in front of this M&S Foodhall in North Tyneside this morning before sunrise
“They have a very short shelf life, there is no alternative to Dover or Folkestone, so we need these ports and across the canal to work freely.”
Number 10 yesterday called for silence as panic buyers formed long lines in front of supermarkets. Instead, people were urged to “shop normally” for all of their festive staples after the French government pledged to resume the movement as soon as possible after a coronavirus travel ban threw the country into chaos.
The Port of Dover confirmed incoming trucks to the UK yesterday, but the queues of trucks waiting to enter France from the UK’s main port spanned more than 20 miles after the French issued a temporary 48 hour Had announced a travel ban.
France closed its borders to British travelers from 11 p.m. on Sunday evening as large parts of the country went into Tier 4 lockdown after the mutant strain of Covid spread to parts of London and the south-east.


The supermarket queues started this morning for a second day in a row after people started waiting at 5:50 a.m. yesterday morning. Right picture: Waitrose in Cambridge

The shelves were replenished Tuesday morning at this Aldi store in Balham, south London, in preparation for the many shoppers expected today

A huge long queue stretches around Silverlink Retail Park in North Tyneside this morning as Christmas shoppers wait in line at 7am for the M&S grocery hall to open

The early morning queues resembled scenes from yesterday with shoppers queuing outside a supermarket from 5:50 a.m.

The shelves were emptied of fresh produce earlier this morning at the Tesco Local Store in Wandsworth, London
Countries like France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Bulgaria also announced restrictions on travel to the UK after the new strain broke out in southeast England.
Countries reacted after Mr Johnson announced on Saturday that the new variant was up to 70 percent more transmissible than the original strain as he put London and parts of the southeast and east of England on a two-week Christmas lockdown with nearly 18 million people in a new one Tier 4.
The travel ban is due to be lifted at 11 p.m. tonight, but could be lifted earlier if negotiations between France and England come to conclusions.
The crisis talks continue after France announced that it would only accept freight forwarders into the country if they had a negative Covid test. But there was an argument about where tests would be held.
Industry leaders initially warned France’s coronavirus ban on UK trucks could prevent hauliers from bringing in vital festive grocery supplies, causing shoppers to empty supermarket shelves yesterday Panic buyers queues from 5:50 a.m.

Men and women stood in line for the Waitrose supermarket in Balham on Tuesday morning, only a few days until Christmas

Long queues also formed at this Waitrose shop in London on Tuesday morning as people tried to buy their groceries before Christmas

Shoppers got up early this morning and long lines formed before 7am while people waited for stores to open

Experts fear a shortage of fresh produce after Christmas Day if the situation in Dover is not resolved today. Pictured: M&S store in North Tyneside

Industry experts urged people not to panic, saying there were enough products in the country for people’s Christmas dinner

The registers at this store in London Sainsbury were full on Tuesday morning as people waited to pay for their purchases

Customers who queued for a supermarket in Balham, London, as well as other stores that were closed under Tier 4 measures, are considered “not material”.
The news that freight forwarders carrying essential goods were still allowed to travel from France to the UK took a long time to reach the people at the checkouts, and panic buyers stopped much of the time yesterday.
This morning there were again long queues with lines that formed from 5:30 a.m. At the Marks & Spencer Food Hall in the Silverlink Retail Park in North Tyneside, queues snaked around the parking lot.
Mr. Opie explained the current situation in Dover and said: “T.The problem is actually empty trucks. The empty trucks now stuck in Kent have to return to places like Spain for the next shipment of raspberries and strawberries and they have to return the next day or so or we will see disruption.
“Our view, as long as it can be resolved today, has minimal consumer impact.” Keep in mind that shops are closed on Christmas Day which takes a day of purchase out of the equation, but the trucks stuck in Kent have to be back the next day.
“The other thing to mention is whatever has been agreed. We have to be careful not to make the supply chain too smooth, which in itself creates disruptions by delaying drivers during the test.”
He added: ‘We always thought there would be queues. You need to remember that these are the busiest days for shopping, at least the next few days before Christmas.
“And remember, all stores are still running all Covid logs. This means you can’t get as many people into a supermarket as you normally would.”
“I’m afraid we had always seen queues being inevitable.” We’re not seeing the kind of over-buying in any amount that we saw during this time in mid-March, so people should remember that stores are open longer to try to reach everyone but Covid logs mean that we can, “There aren’t that many people in the supermarkets so I’m afraid there might be a small amount of queues.”

A shopper in Ashford, Kent, is seen with a very full cart a few days before Christmas as people rush into stores to buy festive supplies

Chaotic scenes in Asda in Wandsworth, South West London, when large numbers of shoppers came into the store, creating long queues in the aisles. A man at the head of the queue seemed to rest his eyes after waiting so long

Shoppers look at empty shelves in the fruit and vegetable aisles of Asda in London this afternoon. Industry insiders warned that there are several products that are at greatest risk of shortages

One last turkey can be seen on a shelf as people shop in a Sainsbury’s London store that is now on Tier 4

This elderly couple in a Tesco shop in East London look at the empty shelves this morning after many have gone to stores to stock up for Christmas

Long queues outside Asda on Clapham Junction in South West London while people try to do some Christmas shopping

At a Tesco Extra store in south east London today, shoppers could be seen as people flocked to supermarkets days before Christmas

The shelves were full of fresh supplies when a large number of shoppers turned up in supermarkets this morning to report a French travel ban. The port of Dover has confirmed that trucks with essential items are now arriving from France
A spokesman for Number 10 said UK supply chains are “diverse and resilient” and urged people yesterday not to act unnecessarily by emptying supermarket shelves.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “We have resilient supply chains and … it is the case that most of our food does not come in the short street.
“People should shop normally and continue to shop considerately.”
Some of the items most at risk of shortages include lettuce leaves, citrus fruits, broccoli and cauliflower, which are typically imported from the continent at this time of year, industry experts say.
There were also concerns that perishable goods could rot in waiting trucks as the chaos at the border resulted in more truck queues.

Shoppers outside of Asda at Clapham Junction in South West London pick up food for Christmas today

People line up to go shopping at a Marks and Spencer store in north London this afternoon

Long queues outside Asda at Clapham Junction in South West London, only four days until Christmas

People queue outside a post office in north London this afternoon while they send out last minute parcels

This buyer began to line up in front of a supermarket where a number of people were already waiting at 5:50 a.m.

Long queues formed outside that Waitrose supermarket in Henleaze near Brisol this morning as people tried to stock up on festive supplies. This picture was posted on Twitter, titled “It’s Christmas, Queuing for a Turkey”.
Sainsbury’s warned that some products could be missing from shelves if restrictions continued in ports, but said the food for a traditional Christmas dinner is already in the country.
A spokesman for the supermarket giant said: “All the products for the Great British Christmas Lunch are already in the country and we have a lot of them.
‘We also source everything we can from the UK and are looking for alternative means of transport for products from Europe.
“If nothing changes, we will see gaps in lettuce, some lettuce leaves, cauliflower, broccoli and citrus fruits in the coming days, all of which are imported from the continent at this time of year.
“We hope that the British and French governments can come to an amicable solution that prioritizes the immediate transfer of produce and other food in ports.”
Mussel producers in Scotland also said they stranded tons of perishable products on roads when the French border closed. A disruption in the UK will also affect deliveries to Ireland.
Warnings of supermarket shortages There are also fears that a Brexit deal will not be reached before the end of the year, leading to the UK leaving the EU.

People brave the rain at the Waitrose store in Henleaze at 7:37 a.m. to stand in line and do their shopping earlier than usual before Christmas

Shoppers in Sainsburys supermarket in north London buy festive groceries before 8 a.m. just four days before Christmas amid a French ban on UK freight forwarders


The shelves at this Sainsbury’s store looked heavy yesterday morning as long lines of shoppers lined up in supermarkets across the UK fearing the French travel ban could put a strain on food supply chains

Yesterday morning shoppers were seen in north London waiting for their turn to shop as the queues grew as the hours went on


Aldi and Waitrose supermarkets also had queues of shoppers yesterday, and people posted pictures of the chaos on social media

That person in the southeast also saw long supermarket lines yesterday after Tier 4 Covid restrictions went into effect across much of the UK on Saturday night
Some supermarket shoppers report seeing queues and empty shelves, similar to what happened when the UK’s first coronavirus lockdown began.
Ameera Patel stood in line in the rain for 40 minutes outside their local Waitrose in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, on Monday morning.
“It’s something I haven’t seen since March and April,” the 40-year-old budding financial advisor told PA yesterday.
Ms. Patel said the shelves were generally well stocked with the exception of the toilet paper aisle where some were empty. “The atmosphere in the store was good, busy holidays … there didn’t seem to be a feeling of concern,” she added.
Dan Forshaw, 39, said there were queues and a row of empty meat and vegetable shelves at his local Waitrose in Cambridge.
“It was pretty shocking as it was only 10:30 am … I’ve been shopping at this Waitrose for over six years and it’s the first time I’ve seen it like this around Christmas,” the musician told PA.
“It wasn’t bad doing this in the spring, but now it’s wet, cold, and while the staff have been incredibly helpful, I’m concerned that I won’t have everything for our family this Christmas.”

The French borders were closed yesterday morning after a 48-hour travel ban went into effect at 11 p.m. yesterday evening when a mutated strain of the Covid virus spread in south-east England

“Stay at home” signs were sent to drivers on the M27 motorway near Portsmouth, Hampshire, which was rated Tier 4 on Saturday night



Huge queues formed this morning at the Costco store in Trafford, Manchester, worried about the pre-Christmas food shortage

The Asda store on Old Kent Road in London was also full today as shoppers lined up to pay the tills for their purchases

Several supermarkets in Liverpool, Merseyside, are busy today. The buyers are pictured here in the town’s Tesco store

The Morrisons store in Liverpool is also reducing inventory levels due to the large number of shoppers coming through their doors

The shelves in an Icelandic shop in north London were quickly empty this morning as shoppers rushed to buy festive groceries

Staples like bread were in short supply at this Icelandic supermarket in north London this morning

Before 8 a.m. there was a rush of shoppers at this Sainsbury’s store in north London with jam-packed trollies that could be seen at the checkouts

The Tesco store in Cirencester was busy this morning as people lined up in long lines to do their Christmas grocery store

At this Asda store in London on Old Kent Road, shoppers were seen picking up turkeys for their Christmas dinner

At this Asda store on Old Kent Road, south London, shelves were emptied of certain canned goods after the capital fell into Tier 4

People were seen in masks as they waited in line outside the Tesco store in Cirencester this morning

Fresh products were very much in demand with buyers today, as many stocked up on groceries before Christmas

People waited patiently in socially distant queues at this Waitrose store today for fear of the shortage of some products
“In the supermarket queue at 5:50 am to get my hands on Blockade / Brexit Moor Roll,” a buyer posted on Twitter next to a picture of a number of people who were already in the queue.
Another posted a picture from a Waitrose store in Henleaze, south-west England, showing long lines of people winding around the parking lot in the rain. They labeled it, “And so is Christmas, in the queue for a turkey.”
Others said the lines at their local supermarket were the worst they’d seen in months.
Aldi supermarket in Burpham, Guildford, had long lines at the door an hour before it opened.
27-year-old shopper Lucy Smith said, “There was a long line when the doors opened. People got up so early and were obviously afraid that they would not get food for Christmas.
“We all went in and I saw a few people get Yorkshire pudding from other people’s trollies. “I managed to get a pack of four Yorkshire puddings. But when I was walking through the store, someone just took it out of my car.


The chaotic scenes that morning included shoppers fighting for Yorkshire pudding in an Aldi store in Burpham, near Guildford, according to 27-year-old buyer Lucy Smith

Supplies of toilet rolls were in short supply this morning, reflecting scenes from earlier in the pandemic when panic buyers stripped the shelves of toilet paper

Detergent and products also appeared to be popular with shoppers who flocked to stores this morning

An employee outside a supermarket in Morrisons in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, dressed as Santa Claus

Am Montagmorgen wurde bei Tesco Cash and Carry in Cambridge gesehen, wie sich Pastinaken mit Pastinaken eindeckten, als die Supermärkte den Kunden sagten, sie sollten nicht in Panik geraten

Supermärkte warnten, dass Salat zu den Produkten gehört, bei denen die Gefahr eines Mangels besteht, wenn die Grenze zu Frankreich geschlossen bleibt, da Salat und Salat zu dieser Jahreszeit normalerweise vom Kontinent importiert werden
„Die Leute haben sich tatsächlich über sie gestritten. Es ist absoluter Wahnsinn. Und ich dachte, dass die Dinge ohne diesen Unsinn schon schlimm genug wären. ‘
The UK retail consortium had previously urged buyers not to clear the shelves amid concerns about a no-deal Brexit.
Earlier this month, they said retailers are “increasing their inventory of cans, toilet rolls, and other longer-lasting products to keep supplies of essential products sufficient”.
They hope to avoid repeating scenes earlier in the pandemic when panic buying resulted in empty supermarket shelves and restrictions on key items. Until now, supermarkets have restricted sales of key items such as toilet paper and staple foods such as rice, flour and pasta.
Ein französisches Reiseverbot wird jedoch zu Engpässen führen, wenn sich nichts ändert, sagten Branchenexperten.

The port of Dover was closed to all escorted traffic leaving the UK for the next 48 hours after France imposed an entry ban. Pictured: truck queue on the M20 in Folkestone

A person on social media who claims to be a truck driver warned of an impending “humanitarian crisis” as the travel ban has seen many hauliers queuing in ports and on highways across the UK

Operation Stack was implemented on the M20 in Kent last night – when parts of the motorway were reserved for parking trucks queuing for canal ports
Das British Retail Consortium (BRC) warnte zuvor davor, dass die Schließung Frankreichs für den britischen Verkehr in der geschäftigen Weihnachtszeit zu „Schwierigkeiten“ für die britischen Importe und Exporte führen würde.
Andrew Opie, the BRC’s director of nutrition and sustainability, said any “persistent” disruption in the run-up to the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31st would be a problem.
“While goods can enter from France, few freight forwarders will be willing to send trucks and drivers to the UK with no guarantee that they can get back to the EU on time,” he said.
‘This is an important supply route for fresh produce at this time of year.
‘We urge the UK Government and the EU to come up with a pragmatic solution as soon as possible to avoid disruptions for consumers. Einzelhändler haben sich vor Weihnachten mit Waren eingedeckt, um unmittelbare Probleme zu vermeiden.
“However, a prolonged closure of the French border would be a problem as the UK enters in the final weeks before the end of the transition on December 31st.”


Die Leute haben sich am Montag im Tesco Cash and Carry in Cambridge mit Klorollen eingedeckt, als die Leute in die Supermärkte strömten

Liverpools Asda-Laden war heute leer, als die Käufer zum Weihnachtseinkauf in den Supermarkt eilten

Diese Frauen gingen mit einem vollen Einkaufswagen nach ihrer festlichen Lebensmittelreise zum Asda-Laden in Liverpool

Toilettenpapier und Küchentuchvorräte wurden im Liverpooler Supermarkt in Merseyside besorgt
Der Hafen von Dover ist ein wichtiger britischer Hafen, und täglich fahren rund 10.000 Lastwagen durch Dover, auf die 20 Prozent aller in Großbritannien eingebrachten und verkauften Waren entfallen.
Nur Lastwagen, die vor dem erneuten Ausfahren Fracht im Hafen abgaben, durften gestern durchfahren.
Freight forwarders coming to the UK from France are still allowed to enter, but there are fears that truck drivers will not travel to avoid being “stranded” in the UK.
The Irish government also imposed a 48-hour flight ban on the UK and said ferries would only be limited to cargo.
Der Hafen von Dover sagte in einer Erklärung: „Aufgrund der Grenzbeschränkungen in Frankreich bleibt der Zugang zum Fährterminal im Hafen von Dover bis auf Weiteres für den gesamten begleiteten Verkehr gesperrt, der das Vereinigte Königreich verlässt.
Begleitete Fracht- und Passagierkunden werden gebeten, nicht in den Hafen zu reisen. Unbegleiteter Verkehr nach Frankreich ist weiterhin gestattet. Der gesamte Verkehr nach Großbritannien ist derzeit von diesen Beschränkungen nicht betroffen. ‘
But logistics companies urged people not to panic, saying that fresh products will continue to be available.
Logistics UK, die Unternehmensgruppe, die die gesamte Branche mit Mitgliedern aus der Straßen-, Schienen-, See- und Luftfahrtindustrie vertritt, sagte, die Einzelhändler hätten Schritte unternommen, um sicherzustellen, dass es nicht an frischen Produkten mangelt.
Der General Manager der Organisation, Alex Veitch, sagte: „Käufer sollten nicht in Panik geraten – Einzelhändler werden alle Anstrengungen unternehmen, um sicherzustellen, dass im System Lagerbestände vorhanden sind, einschließlich frischer Produkte, und es ist wichtig, dass wir uns daran erinnern, dass der eingehende Verkehr weiterhin Zugang zu Großbritannien hat .
‘We are in close contact with the UK Government to ensure that fresh produce is available during the Christmas and New Year seasons.
“We advise members to check with the ports before commencing their voyage and to stay in close contact with the drivers to ensure that their well-being is maintained.”
Operation Stack wurde gestern auf der M20 in Kent implementiert. The system means that parts of the motorway are reserved for parking trucks queuing for canal ports. Kent Airport, which is currently closed, has also been put on standby to receive 4,000 stranded trucks.

Die Menschen suchten Schutz vor dem Regen, als sie sich vor einem Tesco-Geschäft in Cardiff, Südwales, anstellten

Queues formed outside Cardiff’s Marks and Spencers today as people rushed to the shops to do last minute Christmas shopping

Shoppers in the centre of Bristol, as people in Tier 2 areas of coronavirus restrictions continue with their Christmas preparations
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps also urged travelers and shippers to avoid the ports of Kent or other routes to France for fear of further slaughter on the streets.
Richard Burnett, head of the Road Haulage Association (RHA), told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that the government should come up with its contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit in the New Year and use the measures to control the current chaos of the travel ban.
This included the opening of the Kent truck parks prepared to accommodate large numbers of vehicles in the event that a difficult transition period ever emerges after Brexit.
A person on social media who claims to be a truck driver posted on social media that they had been in line in their truck since Friday.
He warned of an impending “humanitarian crisis” and said no toilets were available for stranded truckers.
A 23 mile section of the motorway from Junction 8 near Maidstone and Junction 11 at Folkestone has been turned into a lorry park to avoid congestion in the Port of Dover and at the tunnel.
The Highways Agency said: ‘All drivers – including all hauliers – are being advised to avoid travelling to Kent ports until further notice as part of the coastbound M20 is being used to stack lorries due to cross channel travel restrictions.
‘As a result, Operation Stack has been activated between junctions 8 for Maidstone East and junction 11 for Westenhanger.
Operation Stack is where parts of the M20 are closed to queue lorries that are travelling towards the continent, to avoid causing gridlock across Kent’s road network.
‘The measures follow the French government’s announcement it will not accept any passengers arriving from the UK for the next 48 hours, and the subsequent closures of the Port of Dover and Channel Tunnel.
‘Highways England is working closely with the Department for Transport, Kent Resilience Forum, Kent Council and Kent Police to ensure contingency measures are urgently put in place to manage disruption.’
Die neu eingeführten Tier 4-Beschränkungen bedeuten, dass alle nicht wesentlichen Geschäfte und Einzelhändler in Gebieten wie London, Kent, Essex, Surrey – mit Ausnahme von Waverley – und Bedfordshire schließen werden.

People queue outside a Waitrose supermarket in Harrow, London, with many wearing masks as they waited outside

The scenes in Harrow were similar to those witnessed at supermarkets across the UK, with long queues continuing throughout the day as people flocked to get their groceries

It came after the French announced a travel ban, but said they would attempt to reopen the border within hours after the closure caused chaos in the UK

Non-essential toys and video games were blocked off by cases of beer at the Asda store in Cardiff following the Welsh government lockdown announcement

Aisles of toys are unavailable for sale in an Asda supermarket in Wales as they are deemed a ‘non-essential’ item

The products have been blocked off to shoppers under the newly imposed Welsh coronavirus lockdown rules

Candles and other items in the shop were given labels telling consumers not to purchase them as they did their grocery shopping

The note said items deemed ‘non-essential’ under the ‘firebreak’ lockdown regulations would not be sold
Supermärkte, Apotheken und Tankstellen blieben auf der Zulassungsliste der Regierung – ebenso wie die weniger offensichtlichen Weihnachtsbaumhändler, chemischen Reinigungen, Bogenschieß- und Schießstände und Reitzentren im Freien.
Die Ankündigung in letzter Minute gab den Briten nur acht Stunden Zeit, um ihre Geschenkeinkäufe vor dem Weihnachtstag abzuschließen, bevor die Regeln um Mitternacht in Kraft traten.
Hauptstraßen und Züge in Tier 4-Regionen wurden gestern verlassen, als alle nicht wesentlichen Geschäfte ihre Türen schlossen. Die U-Bahn-Stationen waren ebenfalls leer, nachdem die Fahrt aus der Hauptstadt eingeschränkt worden war.
Menschen mit den höchsten Einschränkungen können sich auch nicht in Innenräumen mit Personen vermischen, die nicht aus ihrem Haushalt stammen.
Es kam, als Wales am Samstag ab Mitternacht in eine vollständige Sperrung versetzt wurde – was alle nicht wesentlichen Geschäfte zwang, ihre Türen zu schließen und die Weihnachtsblasen auf einen einzigen Tag zu zerschneiden. Non-essential toys and products were also blocked off by cases of beer at one supermarket in Cardiff.