The ferry firm last night revealed it would not run any passenger services between Dover and Calais this weekend, dashing the holiday hopes of thousands.
As many as 21.5million car journeys are expected to be made in the UK across the four-day Easter weekend, the first free of Covid restrictions in more than two years.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) says it has detained The Spirit of Britain in the Port of Dover after finding deficiencies during a safety inspection.
Some British Meat Processors Association members have claimed it is taking more than a day to get across the channel - with the quality of meat declining by the hour.