A man from Darlington appeared in court on Monday after officers from the UK Border Agency seized around 18 kilos of cocaine at Dover's Eastern Docks.

The drugs have an estimated street value of £750,000.

A Jaguar car was stopped after it arrived on a ferry from Calais on Saturday.

During a search of the vehicle, officers discovered a number of packages hidden in the fuel tank. The contents of the packages tested positive for cocaine.

Paul Stephens, 30, from Darlington, was arrested on suspicion of smuggling approximately 18 kilos of cannabis into the UK.

He appeared before Folkestone Magistrates and was remanded.