A man has been charged after 60 firearms were discovered in a car at the Port of Dover.

Robert Keogh, from Dublin, has been charged with illegally importing firearms after Border Force officers seized what is believed to be the largest amount of lethal purpose weapons at a UK port.

The 37-year-old is set to appear at Margate Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

On Friday morning, officers stopped a Volkswagen Passat arriving in Dover from Calais.

An initial search recovered a Sig Sauer P226 blank firing handgun, with a barrel converted to fire live ammunition in the car’s rear-left quarter panel.

Searches by specialist deep-rummage teams unearthed another 59 firearms concealed deeply inside the bumper and both rear quarter panels.

Andrea Wilson, head of regional investigations south at the National Crime Agency (NCA), said: "The level of gun crime in the UK is one of the lowest in the world.

"But these weapons pose massive potential for harm making their criminal use a priority for the NCA and wider UK law enforcement."

Nick Drinkal, regional director at Border Force south east and Europe, added: "This is a significant seizure of lethal firearms that could have reached the hands of criminal gangs operating within the UK.

"The actions of the officers involved in this event have undoubtedly saved many lives and by doing so has highlighted the vital role Border Force plays, together with our partner agencies, in the fight against organised crime."

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