A 64-year-old man has been accused of smuggling cannabis worth an estimated £600,000 into the UK by hiding the drugs inside his motorhome.

Robert Orchard was stopped by customs at Dover at the weekend as he entered the UK with his daughter, who lives in the Stirling area. It is claimed that the drugs, which weighed an estimated 300kg, were found packed under a bed in the camper van.

Mr Orchard, who gave an address in Malaga to officers, appeared at Dover Magistrates' Court yesterday charged with the illegal importation of drugs to the UK.

He pled not guilty to the offences and was remanded in custody. His daughter was released on bail pending further inquiries.

It has been alleged by the UK Border Agency that the cannabis was found in a motorhome after it was stopped and searched at Dover's Eastern Docks after it drove off a ferry from France.

Both Mr Orchard and his 34-year-old daughter, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were interviewed by customs officers and Mr Orchard was charged with the trafficking offences.

Carole Upshall, regional director, south, of the UK Border Agency, said: "This is an excellent result and an example of good joint working by the team.

"We will continue to work with our partners in HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to tackle the smugglers who attempt to bring goods illegally into the UK.

"Smugglers are criminals who are only out to make a profit; they do not care about the harm that they cause by smuggling, whether it is drugs, dangerous counterfeit cigarettes or illegal immigrants."

Bob Gaiger, the HMRC spokesman for the south-east of England, said: "In line with the government's drugs strategy, UKBA's main priority relating to drugs is to reduce the availability of Class A drugs.

"However, we will continue to uphold the law relating to other illegal drugs, including cannabis."

Mr Orchard is due back in court on Thursday.

Cannabis has a major presence in Scotland, where 10% of 15-year-olds use the drug on a regular basis. The World Health Organisation reported last week that more than one-quarter of teenagers north of the border have experimented with the drug and thousands are classed as heavy users.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is pushing to increase the classification of the drug from Class C to Class B, following a relaxation of its legal status.

But Westminster experts have lobbied that the higher use of cannabis has not led to an increase in schizophrenia and other mental health problems.

The supply of Britain's cannabis market has changed over the past five years.

In the past, the drug in its resin form would most commonly be imported from north Africa via Spain or from the Netherlands.

Now a major industry is flourishing in the home-grown production of cannabis plants, to produce marijuana, where houses are converted into drug farms using strong lighting and ventilation systems.