A Mulberry Harbour, an artificial floating structure last used after the D-Day landings from June 1944 for ten months prior to VE Day in May 1945, will be towed to the Pas de Calais and installed to load and off-load lorry traffic whilst repairs and maintenance are carried out in the port of Calais.

The idea came from the Kent-based Freight Transport Association (FTA). The FTA has funded the operation but will recover its costs by charging lorries and ferry operators for the use.

FTA External Affairs Director Geoff Dossetter said, "In the seven weeks since the current problems started due to the damaged berth in Calais, the transport industry has suffered losses of many millions of pounds as the result of lost and delayed deliveries.  Lorry drivers have required the utmost patience and the people of Kent have been annoyed and frustrated by the implementation of Operation Stack, queuing thousands of vehicles on the M20 for many days.  The idea of a 'take your own harbour' is a brilliant solution designed to bypass the difficulties in the port of Calais.

What better trial could the structure have had than the D-Day landings in 1944 when the UK Mulberry at Gold beach landed 2.5 million men, 4 million tonnes of goods and, crucially, 500,000 vehicles.  If it was good enough to win the war, then it's good enough for us!"

Movement of the new Mulberry, to be called 'Le Raspberry', will start today (1st April). The harbour will be towed from its construction site at Ramsgate and is expected to be in place and operational close to the village of Wissant, some three miles west of Calais, by the following Monday.

Geoff Dossetter said, "With the problems in Calais certain to continue well into the summer, and ports congestion in the UK constituting a major concern, the establishment of Le Raspberry is a sound investment for the UK transport industry.  We salute the vision and skills of the engineers and soldiers of World War II, without which we would not have been able to solve our 2005 problems."

TNN says, "before you rush to book your places, remember to check today's date." :-)