El ejército ayudará a probar a los conductores de camiones en un acuerdo para desbloquear la prohibición de viajar a Francia.

But Sky News understands that the delay in securing an agreement so far is related to concerns from French officials around the accuracy of lateral flow tests.

«They are perhaps suggesting that we could use the more reliable but much, much slower PCR tests – which can take up to 24 hours to turn around,» deputy political editor Sam Coates said.Advertisement

More than 1,500 hauliers are queuing on the M20 or parked at Kent’s Manston Airport, following France’s decision to stop anyone entering from the UK for 48 hours due to a new coronavirus variant.

It comes as the EU Commission urged member states that have restricted travel from the UK in recent days to lift their bans to allow essential travel and minimise trade disruption.