#DoverFreightRecord - A record volume of freight has been carried between Dover and Calais by operator P&O Ferries in the third quarter of the year.

According to Lloyds Loading List, the ferry company transported 367,000 units of freight across the Channel between July and September - up 30% on the same period last year and the best single quarter since 2003.

P&O Ferries’ CEO Helen Deeble said: “This quarter has been unprecedented, with the strike by French seamen and the temporary closure of the port of Calais bringing major logistical challenges.”

But she said demand for cross-Channel transport was only going to increase, driven by a rising population and a recovering economy.

“We have increased the number of sailings we make between Dover and Calais to 58 a day and brought a sixth ship back into service on the route in order to make sure that we are best placed to meet that demand."

Freight comprises around two-thirds of P&O Ferries’ business, with tourist traffic accounting for one-third.