Irish customs officers have discovered 75 kilos of cocaine worth £4.5m stashed in a torpedo shell found on the shore near Liscannor, Co Clare.

It came after a member of the public spotted the metal cylinder and reported the suspicious item on Monday.

Revenue Customs Officers believe the torpedo type device may have been attached below the waterline of a cargo ship or other maritime vessel, however, they say it is not possible at this stage to say either where the drugs originated, or their intended destination.