More than £10,000 of tobacco and cigarettes seized by Trading Standards in Carlisle have been stolen.

The illegal tobacco products were being stored in a shipping container at Carlisle East Fire Station and were due to be destroyed.

But offenders managed to get there first and cut a 2ft to 3ft hole in the side of the container, clearing it of the products taken during the raids.

Operation Ash, a joint operation led by Cumbria County Council's Trading Standards officers alongside Cumbria Police, saw a trained sniffer dog hunt out more than 1,000 illegal cigarettes from one of four targeted premises in Botchergate.

Intelligence given to Trading Standards suggested some takeaways and shops in the Carlisle street were potentially selling illegally imported or counterfeit cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.

The operation, on December 14, was deemed to be a success but the haul was lifted sometime between 5.30pm on December 23 and 10.30am on Christmas Eve, sparking a police investigation.

A spokesman for Cumbria Police said: "A burglary occurred at Carlisle East Community Fire Station.

"A container was broken into and cigarettes were stolen.

"The value of the tobacco is estimated to be in excess of £10,000."

A Cumbria County Council spokesman added: "I can confirm the cigarettes that were stolen were the ones seized during the Trading Standards and police operation just before Christmas.

"The container is no longer in use for storage of seized goods."

At the time of the operation, Trading Standards said it had sent out a clear message that illegal tobacco would not be tolerated in Cumbria.

A video, published after the operation, showed bagfuls of the cigarettes and tobacco in a shipping container.

It highlighted how Mollie, a Border collie cross spaniel, could sniff out the illegal substances and was crucial to the success of the operation.

But at the end of a film, when the container was being locked up, two fire cars are visible - giving a major hint as to the container's possible location.

Counterfeit cigarettes are illegally manufactured and sold by a party other than the original trademark or copyright holder.

Trading Standards regularly target illegal tobacco sales across the county. In the last year more than 70,000 counterfeit cigarettes and 1,600 pouches of hand rolling tobacco from the streets of Cumbria.

People can report suspected illegal tobacco sales to the Consumer Advice Helpline on 03454 04 05 06.

Anyone who witnessed the theft of the cigarettes or who may have information about the incident is asked to contact police on 101, email 101@cumbria.police.uk or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting log 66 of December 24.