More than than seven million cigarettes, concealed among a cargo of grapes, have been seized at Dover.

Officers from the UK Border Agency made the discovery on Sunday after stopping a lorry that had arrived on a ferry from France at Dover’s Eastern Docks.

The cigarettes and vehicle have been seized. The revenue evaded was about £1.1million.

The driver of the lorry, Efthymios Galanopolus, 43, from Greece, has been charged with duty evasion.

He appeared at Dover Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, was remanded in custody and will reappear there on Monday.

Georgina Myles, spokesman for HMRC at Dover said: “We take a very serious view of cigarette and tobacco smuggling.

"It is not a harmless tax fiddle. This type of activity harms honest businesses and costs the UK billions of pounds in lost revenue that ends up lining the pockets of criminals instead of funding vital public services.”