Ten travel bags of cocaine, weighing a total 225 kilos, have washed up on the shore near the seaside resort of Noordwijk, local broadcaster Omroep West reports.

The drugs were sealed in bags with empty jerry cans to act as buoyancy aids and are said to have a street value of €7.6m.

The first bales were found by waterboard officials, who called in the police to help with the hunt on Monday morning. They used helicopters in an effort to spot more packages but so far no more have been found.

The drugs are thought to have come from a ship or boat.