An attempt to smuggle more than 150,000 cigarettes into Kent has been thwarted by a large multi-agency operation.

Officers carried out a number of stops at Folkestone Services, off junction 11 of the M20, including a vehicle carrying furniture, where the cigarettes were found hidden.

Several HGVs were also fined heavily for exceeding driving hours, including one driver who had been travelling for more than 15 hours straight, resulting in a £1,200 fine.

The operation involved Kent's Road Policing Unit, the Metropolitan Police, Home Office and Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency.

The RPU said: "Thank you to all the officers/staff involved from all the agencies.

"Great to see how different organisations work and great to continue protecting the public by intercepting and disrupting vehicles/drivers committing crime across the country.

"Border force staff are specially trained to search for these type of concealments and gave us some great advice for the future when searching vehicles."

News of the operation comes after police from London descended on service station this morning as part of a planned procedure.