Britons 'could die in 12-hour queues at border' thanks to EU's hated new system

British tourists could die in 12-hour long queues in Kent this summer unless the EU halts its contentious new border system, an MP has warned.

Herne Bay and Sandwich MP Sir Roger Gale said traffic gridlock thanks to the Entry/Exit System (EES) could stop emergency services reaching people in distress.

"If you have elderly people, children and dogs in 12-hour queues with no lavatory facilities, inadequate water supplies, somebody will die, somebody will have a heart attack," he said.

"I'm not overegging it. This is the stark reality," Sir Roger told The Times.

"How do you get an ambulance through traffic jams like that? Put the system on ice, get the technology right, make it work and then introduce it properly."

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is set to meet Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, today to discuss her concerns about the system.

"We are doing everything in our power to keep holidaymakers and hauliers moving, and we are grateful to the French authorities for their close collaboration in helping to minimise disruption," Ms Alexander said.

"We are also investing over £20million to help improve vehicle flow and increase passport booth capacity at Dover to help reduce delays in future years."

The Transport Secretary also shut down Sir Roger's concerns.

"This kind of scaremongering helps no one, and it fails to take account of the extensive preparations that have been underway for months," she blasted.

The EU's EES forces tourists to hand over their fingerprints and photographs - but French kiosks and tablets are struggling to connect to the bloc's central database.

British passengers must still supply additional details when showing their passports to create an "EES profile", adding even more time to every check.

EU BORDER HELL - READ MORE:

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Doug Bannister, the chief executive of the Port of Dover, warned last month that his modelling predicted "severe congestion" during summer, with around 12,000 vehicles expected every day.

His initial worst-case projections for the queues suggested they could reach Sir Roger's 12-hour figure.

But that estimate has since been dialled back to between six and eight hours.

During the May Bank Holiday, French police only suspended extra checks after queues had already stretched to four-and-a-half hours.

And thanks to the chaos, Operation Brock - a traffic system originally designed for a no-deal Brexit scenario - will be activated on the M20 this week.

It creates a dedicated lane for lorries heading to Europe, while other traffic must travel at reduced speeds.

The Department for Transport has designated Lydden Hill Race Circuit, a rallycross venue 10 miles from Dover, as an overflow area if major disruption occurs.

Additional traffic marshals will be deployed around the port town.

Extra toilets, water stations and refreshment points are being installed along the main routes to the port.

Drivers have further been urged to arrive no more than two hours before their departure time, and to stick to the M20 and A2 to stop gridlock in residential areas.

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