Ferry services between the England and France have been suspended today due to the blockade of ports by French commercial fishermen.

P&O and Brittany Ferries confirmed that the blockade is affecting Saint Malo, Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk.

In Kent, emergency police operation “Stack” is underway to deal with the huge number of lorries waiting to board ferries.

The channel tunnel is not affected by the action.

The protests, against rising fuel prices and strict quotas, are targeting France’s biggest commercial ports and are affecting ferry services for the first time.

A spokesman for Dover Port Authority said: “The suspension will last at least all day.

“Hopefully we will be up and running again by Friday, but these protestors and their unions are not keeping us abreast of developments.”

At Boulogne, 80 fishing boats formed a cordon across the entry to the Channel port, with similar blockades in nearby Calais and Dunkirk.

The 10-day protest movement spread this week from the Atlantic and Channel to France's number one port in Marseille, where dozens of fishermen continued Wednesday to block road access to oil depots in Fos-sur-Mer and Berre.

In Bordeaux, the fishermen have blockaded commercial and fuel docks.

At La Rochelle, petrol stations across the city are running out of diesel fuel, raising the prospect of panic buying.

Government spokesmen urged motorists not to panic-buy, saying this can only make the situation worse.

The action is likely to continue until tomorrow night at the earliest, according to fishing unions.