KENT Police says it will not be repeating its experiment with the complex contra-flow system that was supposed to ease the problems caused by Operation Stack along the M20.

Police chiefs have conceded publicly for the first time that the contra-flow system on the motorway created major problems when it was used at Easter.

Assistant chief constable Dave Ainsworth said it took too long to implement the scheme, was too costly and was poorly understood by drivers.

But he added that it had underlined the challenges the force faced in managing traffic along the M20 when Operation Stack had to be activated.

He said: "I do not think we will run it ever again. It gave us all sorts of challenges. Any scheme has to be set up and dismantled quickly and this took many days to put in place.

"The system has to be operated safely and we have long stretches of the motorway network which are completely dark."

The contra-flow system saw 11 miles of the hard shoulder and one coastbound lane of the M20 coned off to create a lorry park, with the middle lane acting as a buffer. North-bound traffic used the two outside lanes.

Mr Ainsworth said one of the major concerns was finding enough cones. He also conceded the safety of the scheme was undermined by poor driving by some motorists, who ignored the 40mph speed limit and overtook in the buffer lanes, while a series of "significant" crashes caused disruption and delays.

"As soon as you put cones down, you have to reduce the speed limit. Many exceeded the speed limit including one who drove at 86mph. Driver behaviour undermined the scheme significantly," he said.

His comments came at a meeting of representatives of the Kent Partnership Board, which comprises council chiefs, business representatives and voluntary groups.

The Kent Messenger Group revealed earlier this month how the costs of police overtime for Operation Stack had soared to £123,000, the equivalent of 5,000 extra hours.