When the shipment arrived it was immediately taken away under unusual circumstances.

Jon Cameron-Brasil (pictured) was looking forward to the Ghanaian fruit arriving at Felixstowe docks, but was dismayed to discover inconsistencies in the fruit's ripeness when he eventually put his hands on the cargo.

He said: 'I was not overly impressed [at first]. It was there for days, so when it arrived there was fruit more advanced than it should have been. As far as I understood it would have been held in stasis, but I didn't seem to get that performance and it [the CA] cost us a third more than a normal reefer ship.' However, P&O spokesman Paul Summers explained that HM Customs had suspected the cargo of concealing high-value contraband goods, and this had caused severe delays at dockside as paperwork had to be sent from P&O's Southampton office.

'I suspect the cargo was a perfect way of concealing cocaine, heroin or diamonds,' he said, before adding P&0 'could not get involved' with the actions of customs chiefs.

Thankfully for all involved upon the cargo's arrival at wholesalers C&C in London the mood was more upbeat.

'It's well worth pursuing,' a spokesman said of shipping pineapples CA from Ghana.

Happy with the eventual outcome, Summers said: 'We have the figures – the cargo was carried at spot-on temperature by P&O.'