THE chaotic situation at Calais has had a beneficial effect on ferry traffic in Poole.

Passengers and transport companies intent on getting to France are avoiding the shorter Kent crossings and using the longer Poole to Cherbourg route, which is not subject to delays caused by the migrant crisis at Calais.

"The Barfleur has been a lot busier due to the situation in Calais," said Christopher Jones, communications manager, Brittany Ferries.

In July, the ferry carried nine per cent more passengers and 37 per cent more freight than during the same month last year.

"It is too early to say what the August figures will be like because bookings come in last minute, however bookings are up at the moment," said Mr Jones. "We're currently taking about 12 per cent more bookings than at the same time last year."

The Barfleur sails daily from Poole to Cherbourg in four-and-a-half hours, returning in the evening, taking foot passengers, cars and freight.

As many as 6,000 lorries are stacked up on the M20 in Kent, as disruptions continue to grow with migrants making fresh attempts to enter the Chanel Tunnel or stash themselves in trucks.

Thousands of migrants - mainly from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and Afghanistan - have been camping in Calais and are making increasingly desperate attempts to get to Britain.

Poole Harbour Commission chief executive Jim Stewart, said: "Obviously we are very pleased to see more traffic coming through the port.

"Brittany Ferries will know more accurately the reasons for the increase- we don’t get that information but we are aware that the Calais situation is resulting in higher volumes.

"The strong Sterling/Euro exchange rate also makes Europe a more attractive destination for UK holidaymakers.

"Additionally, Condor are having a good summer season so the port is pretty busy at the moment."

Barfleur returned to the fleet in March 2013 after being axed for being uneconomic in 2010 after sailing the route for 17 years.

It returned for the summer of 2011 and fears were raised in 2012 that it might not return after it embarked on a six month charter with DFDS Seaways on the Dover to Calais route.

The ferry can carry up to 900 passengers, 590 cars and 75 trucks and this spring the company invested £10m in fitting scrubbers to the ferries engines to clean up the sulphur exhaust emissions to comply with EU regulations.