'There's no need to panic buy' - York MPs

York Central MP Rachel Maskell called on the city's people to buy 'only what they need'. "Just get what you need and there will be enough for everybody and we will get through this," Ms Maskell said.

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy, meanwhile, insisted that the supply problems were only a 'blip'. "France has already confirmed to our government that they want to allow lorry movements to resume as soon as possible," he said. "York residents should be confident that they can shop normally, and intensive work to resolve this blip is already well advanced."

The two MPs spoke out after France imposed a 48-hour ban on hauliers crossing the Channel from 11pm on Sunday. Both the Port of Dover and the Channel Tunnel were closed yesterday, and Kent Police began using parts of the M20 to queue lorries travelling towards the continent.

The French ban applies to freight lorries entering France from the UK, not the other way around. But the chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, Richard Burnett, warned the measures might deter EU lorry drivers from entering the UK before Christmas for fear of being stranded here, leading to a ‘challenge’ with the supply of fresh food.

There were signs this evening, however, that France was hoping to end the restrictions on cross-channel lorries sooner rather than later.

In a Press briefing from Downing Street this evening Prime Minister Boris Johnson said discussions were taking place with France to “unblock the flow of trade as fast as possible”.

Mr Johnson said he had had an ‘excellent’ conversation with French President Emanuel Macron. “He stressed he was keen, I would say, to sort it out in the next few hours if we can,” Mr Johnson said. “Our teams will be working on it flat out.” 

Earlier, French transport minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari had said a protocol would be adopted at a European Union-wide level 'to ensure that movement from the UK can resume'.

"In the next few hours, at European level, we're going to establish a solid health protocol to ensure that movement from the UK can resume," Mr Djebbari said. "Our priority: to protect our nationals and our fellow citizens."

Mr Sturdy said: "France has already confirmed to our government that they want to allow lorry movements to resume as soon as possible.

"Both governments are working to put in place an immediate solution, for instance through rapid mass testing of lorry drivers."

He added that 80 per cent of the freight units shipped across the Channel today were completely unaffected by the temporary restrictions. "The vast majority of imported food is unaccompanied, for example in containers, rather than being driven in by hauliers," he said. "The problem is mainly French and other European hauliers getting stuck on this side.

"The concern is really around certain fresh produce like salad items and some fruit, rather than general delays with food supplies.

"The food retailers organisation the Food and Drink Federation have said very clearly there is no need to ‘panic buy’ and I would note Sainsburys have said they have plenty of Christmas lunch products, and there should be no problems with this.

"York residents should be confident that they can shop normally."

Ms Maskell said the abrupt change to Christmas rules had left some people 'high and dry'. "If you were planning to visit your daughter, for example, but now can't go, you may not have supplies in," she said.

But she urged York people to buy only what they needed. "Just get what you need and there will be enough for everybody and we will get through this," she said.

She added that agreeing some kind of deal with EU leaders that would enable European lorry drivers to return home after delivering to the UK should be a top priorty for the UK government.

That would ensure the supply chain of fresh food and medicines was not interrupted, Ms Maskell said.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News today that the disruption around the Channel ports in Kent "won't have an impact" on the Covid vaccine supply.

He said: "Most vaccine doesn't come via what is called 'Ro-Ro', roll-on, roll-off, which is what we are talking about here. It's not usually accompanied by a driver, by a haulier. It comes on ...containers," he said.

Asked if consumers would see food shortages in supermarkets, Mr Shapps added: "The supply chain is pretty robust in as much as you get variations in supply all the time. For the most part, people won't notice it."

A Sainsbury's spokesman told the BBC that all of its Christmas lunch products were "already in the country" and it was looking at alternative ways of sourcing products from Europe.

But he added: "If nothing changes, we will start to see gaps over the coming days on lettuce, some salad leaves, cauliflowers, broccoli and citrus fruit - all of which are imported from the Continent at this time of year."

Currently freight lorries cannot enter France, but trucks coming in the opposite direction are still allowed.

Unaccompanied freight, such as containers or lorry trailers on their own, can still be transported from the UK to France.