UK to spend £108m on ferries to prepare for no-deal Brexit

The UK is planning to spend £108m on extra ferries to ease potential congestion at Dover in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

French, Danish and British companies have been awarded the ferry contracts over the last few months, BBC News reported, which will allow almost 4,000 extra lorries a week to operate at other ports.

The Department for Transport said “extreme urgency” resulted in the contracts being awarded without being put out to tender, according to the BBC.

British firm Seaborne Freight was awarded a £13.8m contract, Danish shipping firm DFDS received contracts worth £47.3m, and French company Brittany Ferries was given contracts up to £46.6m.

The companies will increase the number of services they provide to carry lorries across the Dover strait.

The DfT told the BBC that the contracts would provide "significant extra capacity" to UK ports in the event of a no-deal situation, but added that the focus was on securing a deal with Brussels for the UK’s departure from the EU.