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Britain sends more troops to Dover to clear lorry queues

Britain deployed extra military personnel to the port of Dover on Friday (December 25).

Their Christmas task... to help clear the queues of lorries since cross-channel travel was reinstated for drivers who get a negative COVID-19 test.

Ferry services between Dover and the French port of Calais restarted on Thursday (December 24).

That after several days of a blockade imposed by France when a new coronavirus variant was discovered in England.

Traffic was moving only slowly through the port on Friday, a public holiday.

Most trucks were still parked further up the motorway as drivers spent Christmas day waiting to take tests before being allowed to board the ferries.

An additional 800 British troops have now been sent to the port, as well as the 300 already there, British media reported.

The French and British governments agreed to end the blockade late on Tuesday (December 22).

But the long lines of trucks are expected to take days to clear, British authorities have said.