Former P&O ferry workers are still waiting for personal items to be returned - two weeks after they were sacked with no warning.

Others have received parts of their belongings, while other stuff is still missing.

Some ex-employees, who can't be named, said: "We have had some of our stuff returned to us, but lots of personal belongings are still missing.

"Others haven't had any of their stuff back.

"When you're working on the ships, you need your certificates with you at all times.

"Some workers kept them in their lockers and they can't get the documentation back, meaning they can't apply for new jobs."

P&O Ferries sacked 800 workers in a shock move on Thursday, March 17 - some over a pre-recorded, online video call.

Staff on board the ships were ordered to disembark, with security officers standing by.

The firm said the move was necessary, as it was losing hundreds of millions of pounds a year.

Foreign agency staff, being paid cheaper wages, were brought in to replace the workforce.

But since then, the Pride of Kent, and a second P&O ship, have failed safety inspections and been detained by the MCA.

No P&O services are currently running from Dover, with DFDS and Irish Ferries picking up the extra capacity.

Earlier this week a photo emerged appearing to show large bins filled with dumped personal belongings of former colleagues.

The pictures was released by trade union Nautilus International.

A former P&O worker added: "They brought security in, but no one kicked off on the day we were sacked; there were no incidents of violence.

"So why didn’t they let us return to the ships and collect our stuff. It would have given us a bit of dignity, shown a bit if respect."

It is understood arrangements are currently being made for the remaining unclaimed personal belongings to be couriered to people’s homes.

Yesterday, the government announced nine new commitments to protect seafarers.

The list includes changing the law so workers receive 'at least the minimum wage', fining firms which use fire and rehire tactics, and taking action against company leaders who break the law.

The promises were revealed by Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps, who said: "P&O are acting like pirates of the high sea and its CEO not only admitted in Parliament about deliberately breaking the law, but had the audacity to confirm it in a letter to me too.

"We are sending a clear message to everyone that if you want to operate in the UK then you have to conduct yourself just like any other boardroom."

But Mick Lynch, RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport) union general secretary, called the announcement "far too little, far too late", and demanded tougher reforms.

It comes as Nautilus International claims P&O Ferries has now also told all cadets on board its vessels to disembark and return home.

The move is believed to affect around 40 cadets.

The union said the cadets were not provided with any details about their future, nor given an indication about whether they will be able to continue their training aboard P&O vessels.

Nautilus strategic organiser Rachel Lynch said: "Any delays with obtaining the required sea time can result in an unnecessarily prolonged cadetship.

"The industry is still recovering from the cadet berthing crisis created by the pandemic, so it is unfortunate that these cadets are now being affected by the actions of P&O Ferries."

There also hold ups crossing the Channel this morning from Dover, with DFDS reporting delays of up to an hour.