More than one million smuggled cigarettes were found concealed in hollowed out trees at a Tyneside timber yard.

Police and customs officers discovered the haul when a consignment of logs was searched at Blaydon, near Gateshead.

The joint operation by Northumbria Police and HM Customs and Excise is being linked to the haul of eight million cigarettes discovered in a consignment of logs on a Russian registered ship.

A Newcastle man was arrested in connection with the seizure at Blaydon and has been bailed to reappear at Whickham Police Station in the new year.

Polythene bags

The cigarettes were tracked to Blair's Wood Yard in Cowan Road, Blaydon, and are believed to have been smuggled into the country from Russia.

The 40ft trees were found packed with thousands of cigarettes wrapped in polythene bags.

Customs officers were aided by PC Ivan Armstrong, the Blaydon community beat officer and his colleagues.

PC Armstrong said: "There was a large amount of cigarettes in each tree.

"I would estimate that there was about 100 tonnes worth of trees in the consignment, so it would not surprise me if there were a million cigarettes there."

The ship arrived at Goole Dock from St Petersburg and the ship's captain was initially arrested, but has been released.