BORDER Force officers have seized nearly a tonne of cocaine, worth £76million, hidden in bananas in Southampton.

The class A drugs were found at the Port of Southampton having been concealed within a shipping container on a commercial vessel docked at the port.

The total haul weighed 946 kilos and police believe it was placed in the cargo in Colombia en route to Antwerp in Belgium.

Home secretary Priti Patel said: “This was drug smuggling on an industrial scale so I’m delighted that Border Force officers have prevented such a large quantity of dangerous goods from reaching our streets.

“Drugs devastate communities, line the pockets of serious criminals, and are a serious driver of the violence which ruin young lives right across the country.

“We are sending a strong signal to criminals in the UK and abroad seeking to smuggle drugs into or through the UK: your efforts will fail and we will use every part of our law enforcement powers to stop drugs from coming into the UK.”

Using search techniques and visual checks, Border Force officers identified anomalies within the container cargo and discovered the drugs on January 15.

Regional director for Border Force South, Tim Kingsberry said: “This significant seizure has removed a large amount of dangerous drugs from the streets, which not only reduces the significant harm they cause to communities but also makes a huge dent in the profits of smugglers.”