The hated Operation Brock contraflow on the M20 costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds every time it is used, new figures reveal.

Deploying and removing the traffic management system on the busy motorway racks up a bill of about £250,000 each time, while maintaining and servicing it adds up to a further £100,000 per week.

The eye-watering expenditure has been outlined in a response from Kent County Council (KCC) to a Freedom of Information request.

Ashford’s MP Sojan Joseph says it underlines why Brock should only be deployed when “absolutely necessary” - and a more cost-effective alternative is needed.

But KCC says it remains the “only tool available” to help keep traffic moving.

Brock is implemented between Junction 9 at Ashford and Junction 8 at Maidstone in an attempt to avoid cross-Channel traffic clogging up local roads if there are delays at the border.

Lorries heading to Europe queue on the coastbound side, with the London-bound carriageway operating as a contraflow with narrow lanes and a 50mph limit.

But the system has been described as a “massive inconvenience” for residents, and Kent MPs, including Mr Joseph, have questioned whether it is necessary to put it in place during every school holiday.

The Labour representative said: "The current practice of deploying Operation Brock for long periods of time as a precautionary measure, and it being active for one or two days, is clearly not the best way forward, given the very high cost to deploy, maintain, and remove it and the huge inconvenience it causes to many of my constituents.

“I would urge the local agencies to only deploy Brock when it is absolutely necessary to avoid any needless disruption and allow taxpayers’ money to be reallocated to our public services.

“I hope we can find a long-term solution which is more cost-effective, causes less inconvenience to road users and works for my constituents in Ashford, Hawkinge, and the villages.”

In January, it was revealed the government is working on a permanent solution to the problem of congestion at the Port of Dover backing up traffic deep into Kent.

The proposed system would use a combination of new digital technology and off-road sites to hold HGVs during disruption, but is still in the early planning stages.

The Kent and Medway Resilience Forum – a group of organisations including National Highways, Kent Police and KCC – is responsible for deciding when Brock is deployed, using data provided by the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel.

A KCC spokesperson said: “We do understand the issues and the severe impact that Operation Brock causes for our residents, local communities and businesses throughout the county, and we do take every opportunity to ensure that these are raised fully with national government.”

They said the decision to deploy the system is “not taken lightly” and the costs for putting out and bringing the barrier back in are met by the government, not the council.

They added: “Until more permanent solutions are found by national government to tackle disruption on Kent’s roads, Operation Brock remains the only tool available to keep Kent moving.”