All slip roads leading onto the M20 have now reopened.

Highways England had kept the coastbound on-slips between Junction 9 for Ashford and Junction 13 for Folkestone closed for days - even though the queues on the motorway had cleared following the French border chaos.

It said the move would "support Operation Brock", but it led to bewilderment among drivers who had to use the A20 when heading from Ashford to Folkestone.

Motorists could only access the coastbound M20 from the junctions north of Ashford - the closest being Junction 8 for Leeds Castle.

But today, highways bosses have reopened all of the slip roads, sparking relief for drivers.

Yesterday, Cllr Tim Prater, leader of the Liberal Democrats Group on Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC), criticised Highways England's decision to keep the slips shut, saying it would have a "massive impact" on the area.

He said: "What new insanity is this?! No traffic can join the M20 from Ashford towards Folkestone at all for the foreseeable future, and all has to use the A20?

"To close the slip roads to all traffic without any discussion is awful"

"That's not an advertised feature of Operation Brock. FHDC - can we ask Highways England to change this immediately?

"It pushes all traffic only wanting to get from Ashford to Folkestone off the motorway, and down the A20. Barking."

The motorway was closed over Christmas to allow for scores of lorries to be held between Junction 10a and 12 in Operation Stack, but reopened as the backlog cleared.

Sharon Swansdale, of the Mersham-based Village Alliance campaign group, said she couldn't see why the on-slips had to stay closed.

"To close the slip roads to all traffic without any discussion is awful," she said yesterday.

"There are no diversion signs and as a local you know how to get onto the A20, but we've seen many people left completely confused and accidentally heading back towards Ashford.

"It's obviously to stop trucks joining the queues held for Brock further down, but it's going to be in place for months - does that mean they've closed the M20 to all the locals for that long?

"If this was the M1, they wouldn't just say it's easier for us to keep it closed for possible queues on Sunday or Monday. Just because we're in Kent they don't seem to care."

Ms Swansdale says she was concerned about the time it would take ambulances to get down the A20 from Ashford to Folkestone.

She added: "From Ashford there's no way of getting to the coast - it's 17 miles back up to Maidstone just to get onto the motorway.

"How do the rapid response teams from the William Harvey Hospital get to Folkestone in the coming days? They're putting lives at risk for the next few days.

"I can not see the reasoning behind it - they are completely treating the people of Ashford like we don't exist."

On Monday, the contraflow system on the M20 between Ashford and Leeds Castle fully reopened – meaning all motorists can travel on the major route in both directions.

Between Junction 8 and 9, two lanes are running London-bound and two lanes are operating coastbound.

Monday marked the first time in almost a week that drivers have been able to travel in both directions on the 15-mile stretch.

All vehicles are using the Operation Brock contraflow system on the London-bound side, while the proper coastbound route from Junction 8 remains shut to just HGVs.

Drivers in the contraflow face the usual 50mph limit and narrower lanes.

Read more: All the latest news from Ashford