Illegal pork meat being brought through Dover has raised fears of African swine fever arriving in the UK.
Checks were introduced in September 2022 after 60 tonnes of pork had been seized.
However, just last weekend, over a tonne of pork was located in three vehicles.
Head of public protection and port health, Lucy Manzano has emphasised the importance of controlling vehicles into England, as this is only “the tip of the iceberg”.
The illegal meat arrives in many forms such as sausage, head, whole pigs and even skin.
Officials say devastating consequences could arise if an outbreak of swine fever reached the UK’s pork producers.
Despite this, the Dover Port Health Authority (DPHA) are proposing a 70% budget cut to this department whilst offering to transfer these checks to Ashford once the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) starts up in April.
The need for greater resources comes after limited staff not being able to cover the significant amounts of pork passing through the border.