The Department for Transport (DfT) has confirmed overall UK port traffic dropped by three per cent in the first quarter of 2013 when compared with the corresponding period in 2012.

Ships weighing a total of 119 million tonnes docked at British ports over the course of the three months, a report published by the government body revealed.

Despite the downturn, the volume of goods handled remained constant with previous quarters, with 4.56 million units being accommodated across the country.

Port traffic has been in decline for more than a year and these latest statistics highlighted a four per cent drop in tonnage in the 12 months ending March 2013.

Although inward traffic rose slightly between January and March 2013, the number of outbound freight containers fell by four per cent year-on-year.

While the DfT report makes for worrying reading, freight industry experts are confident the UK will bounce back, with new facilities like the London Gateway expected to attract more trade.