The haul was discovered in three separate areas of Cardiff

The 60- tonne stockpile was seized in Cardiff on Friday by police and trading standard officers.

It is thought that it was imported from the Far East and was about to be sold on the black market in the run up to bonfire night.

The haul amounts to more than all the fireworks for the official Millennium celebrations in London and Sydney combined.

Swoop

Officers from South Wales Police and officials from trading standards swooped in the Wentloog, Ely and Canton areas of Cardiff and found the fireworks in huge containers.

There is a danger that children would have got hold of them Spokesman from Cardiff Council

A Cardiff Council spokesman said: "The worry is where the fireworks were bound for and whose hands they could have ended up in.

"There is a danger that children would have got hold of them."

Police have begun an investigation to discover exactly how the fireworks were brought into Britain.

Chief Inspector Graham McCarthy said: "People have been interviewed in relation to the seizures of large quantities of commercial fireworks.

"Fireworks are there for people to enjoy but they must be aware of the safety issues.

"They can be extremely dangerous if they are not stored properly."

Last year, 70 people were injured by fireworks in Wales.

Across the UK last year, there were 1,017 injuries. Although the number reported fell by a quarter, hospitals still treated 88 children under the age of five, and 132 people were injured by sparklers.