Brexit motorway parking plans for Humber ports in 'worst case'

Immingham is the UK's largest port by volume of cargo handled

Motorways could be used as parking for lorries using the Humber ports in case of delays following Brexit.

Plans by the Humber Local Resilience Forum (LRF) would see parts of the M62 in East Yorkshire and the M180 in north Lincolnshire used as holding areas.

The LRF held a meeting in Immingham with road haulage companies to outline planning for "worst-case scenarios".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK will leave the Europe Union on 31 October.

The LRF is made up of the emergency services, NHS trusts, local councils, Highways England and port operator Associated British Ports.

Hull, Immingham, Grimsby and Goole are among the busiest ports in the UK, with Immingham being the largest UK port by volume of cargo handled.

'Normal business'

Chris Blacksell, the chair of the LRF, said the planning was not designed to "scare people".

"What we've been asked to do, or tasked to do really by government, is to put those plans in place for those reasonable worst case scenarios and that's what we do every day," he said.

"Actually, having that plan in place is just normal business for emergency services, local authorities and health colleagues particularly."

He said there had been "live testing" of the plans using lorries.

Mr Blacksell, who is Humberside's chief fire officer, said the latest advice from the Department for Transport was that it was "highly unlikely" that there would be traffic disruption after Brexit.