An arsenal of 79 handguns bound for Britain’s gangs and violent criminals has been found hidden in engine blocks being ferried by van through the Channel Tunnel.

Police seized the weapons cache after a tip off the pistols were to be smuggled into the UK over the weekend.

One senior officer said there was “no doubt” the firearms and ammunition were headed to the streets of Britain, where they “would have caused misery and unspeakable damage”.