A Purley man has been charged with smuggling £5.2m of cocaine into the UK on a cross-channel ferry.

Mark West, 35, of Lansdowne Road, is accused of shipping 52kg of the Class A drug into Portsmouth concealed in a lorry.

Border Force officers discovered the haul as it arrived on a ferry from Caen, France, on October 18 last year.

Mr West was arrested on April 24 and was charged with drugs smuggling and possession with intent to supply a Class A drug on Thursday.

Michael Ebanks, 31, of Bromley, faces the same charges having been arrested on October 19. He is also charged with possession with intent to supply a Class C drug.

Both men appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on June 7. They were remanded in custody to appear at Portsmouth Crown Court on July 1.