Summer getaway chaos as drivers face three-mile traffic jams on M6

Holidaymakers off on their summer getaways faced fresh travel chaos as Stansted airport was evacuated after a fire alarm was set off and there were huge delays both on the M6 and at the Port of Dover. Passengers wait outside Stansted airport after a fire alarm sounded in the departures area Cars queue at the Port of Dover, Kent, as the busy summer travel period continues Holiday traffic was stuck in jams nearly three miles long this morning after cows wandered on to the M6 motorway Elsewhere across the UK, families have had to battle three-hour queues at the Port of Dover as some have complained there are people bursting for the toilet but they are stuck inside their cars. As the fire alarms sounded in Stansted airport, worried passengers shared their fears on social media that they Around 17,000 people travelled through the Port of Dover on Saturday morning on their way to France, with ferry passengers waiting hours to get through traffic at the border. Stansted was evacuated 'under normal procedures' after a fire alarm in the departures area went off Several people complained that they were now going to miss their flights Worried passengers look on as the fire alarm sounds It has been a day of pure travel chaos alongside the delays at the Dover port and on the M6 A fire brigade rushed to Stansted airport before the fire alarm ended at around 12.30pm Chaos at Port of Dover as tens of thousands of travellers face hours of delays Traffic queuing on the A20 outside the Port of Dover in Kent A look at some of the delays being caused to holidaymakers as they arrive in Dover A notable nine-lane-wide queue extended alongside the iconic white cliffs of Dover on the approach to the border Frustration among drivers was evident, with some venting their displeasure by honking their horns Drivers are said to be experiencing three-hour traffic jams at the Dover port Cars stack up behind each other in the traffic jam A look at the traffic jam on a motorway in Cestas near Bordeaux, southwestern France 'We have a hotel we need to get to, a car full of people who need a toilet and unrealistic updates from the Port of Dover. People took to social media to share their views on the cows causing delays to the M6 Ascot Railway Station was closed today due to Industrial Action by South Western Railway staff Services will start later, finish much earlier and only operate for a limited period during the day A reduced, revised timetable is operating across several train operators, including GWR today The lanes re-opened at around 9.30am after the herd of cows were moved from the carriageway.