VIGILENT customs offers at DP World London Gateway port have unearthed a second major drugs find passing through the port in recent months.

In September, Border Force National Deep Rummage Team officers discovered 1,155 kilograms of cocaine in a shipment of paper bound for Antwerp and now they have released details of a major find last month.

More than a ton of cocaine worth about £100 million was found hidden in a shipment of banana pulp from Colombia, the Home Office says.

Border Force officers discovered the concealed drugs, which were destined for the streets of Europe, during a routine inspection at London Gateway depot. A total of 1,060 kilograms of cocaine was found hidden in a shipping container.

It is thought that the drugs were put in the cargo in Colombia – the world's leading supplier of cocaine – and were also due to arrive in Antwerp, Belgium.

The National Crime Agency is investigating the discoveries to identify those involved, though the two shipments are not believed to be linked.

Agency branch commander Jacque Beer said: "These were substantial seizures and will represent a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved, meaning less profit for them to reinvest.

"While the UK wasn't the end destination for either shipment, it is likely that at least a proportion would have ended up being sold on our streets.

"The Agency is working with law enforcement partners in the UK, in Europe and worldwide to target the criminal networks behind drug trafficking and disrupt their activities."