Long queues of lorries could be seen near the Port of Dover this afternoon as freight delays continued following the sacking of 800 P&O Ferries workers.
It comes as it emerged today that the chief executive of DP World - the parent company of P&O Ferries - warned Grant Shapps about a new 'low-cost competitor' that would pose a challenge to the business in a meeting in November.
The minutes of a meeting between billionaire Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem and Mr Shapps have been published by the Commons Transport Committee.
In the record of the meeting, the DP World boss told Mr Shapps that Irish Ferries had emerged as a 'new lost-cost competitor' and added: 'This poses challenges in respect of P&O's operations.'
He said the company was making 'a significant amount of income from the passenger side of our business', but 'the margins are so tight on the cargo side'.
Mr Shapps is reported to have responded: 'I'm aware of the issues relating to P&O. I recognise you will need to make commercial decisions, but please do keep us informed.'
Meanwhile, the millionaire CEO of P&O ferries reportedly emailed sacked staff this morning telling them he would not fire them in the same way again - a day after telling MPs he 'would do it again'.
The email from Peter Hebblethwaite, who is paid 325,000 to run the firm and lives in a plush 1.5million Cotswold farmhouse, appeared to backtrack on the defiance he showed at a fiery committee evidence session in front of MPs.
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