A ninth person has been jailed in connection with the interception of a yacht carrying cocaine with a street value of more than £160m off the south-west coast of Ireland.

Three Englishmen who ran out of food at sea on a €300m cocaine smuggling operation were so desperate one of them began to consume the drug to stave off hunger.

A 49-year-old man from West Yorkshire was jailed for 16 years yesterday for his part in a plot to import a ton of cocaine into Britain — which was seized by the Irish Naval Service.

A English man has today admitted being involved in a plot to smuggle £100m of cocaine into the UK, before being apprehended by the Irish Naval Service.

Three British men have appeared in court and another will be in the dock today accused of a plot to smuggle €125m of cocaine.