A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman was unable to confirm reports that the drugs were cocaine. "No one has said it is cocaine, and there has been no change," said the spokesman on Saturday.

But the police did say the packages were "believed to be controlled drugs".

The first package was washed up on the beach at Bude, north Cornwall, on Thursday, and consisted of a number of packages wrapped in sacking. Another package was on a beach near Carleon Cove on the Lizard Peninsula on Friday morning - between 60-70 miles from the first.

"Until the results of this analysis is known, it is not possible to verify the contents or the quantity contained in the packages.

"It is too early in the investigation to say whether the finds are linked," said a police spokesman.

HM Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger said a number of packages of drugs had been washed up on the south west coast over the last ten years.

Forensic analysis of the two latest finds should be able to establish how long they had been in the water, and whether there were any similarities between the packages.

"But all these washups are very difficult to pin down and investigate," he said. Forensic examination may be able to throw some light on where the packages originated, he added.

The package found on the Lizard was wrapped in layers of netting and plastic, and contained individually wrapped packages.