The Highways Agency is predicting busy weekends on England's motorways and major 'A' roads as the schools break up and thousands of families head away for a summer holiday.

Steve Crosthwaite, head of the Highways Agency's national traffic control centre, said: "Routes around airports and ports as well as those heading towards the coast are expected to be busy, with the M20, M5, M4 and A2 expected to be carrying up to 20% more traffic than on a typical Saturday.”

The Highways Agency is recommending that people plan their journey in advance in order to avoid the worst of the summer queues.

"At this time of year a lot of people will be taking journeys they are not familiar with so our advice is to plan your journey well and make sure you check the conditions before you leave. It's also a good idea to be prepared.

"Take food and water with you, especially if you have children in the car, and take a map just in case you need to find an alternative route," added Mr Crosthwaite.