A museum, situated at Lancaster Castle, is launching a powerful new exhibition two decades after the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster.

This tragic event saw 23 Chinese migrants, brought in illegally by Liverpool mobsters, drown on Morecambe Bay on February 5, 2004, while cockle gathering.

The Lancashire Police Museum's exhibition, due to be unveiled on July 19, provides an in-depth account of the intense investigation that followed.

Operation Lund led to the imprisonment of the Chinese 'gangmaster' in charge and two other individuals for manslaughter and other crimes.

Museum co-ordinator, Sabine Skae, said: "Lancashire Police Museum was set up to celebrate our proud history and to highlight the great work of Lancashire Police over the years.

"The Op Lund display is a fitting tribute to the victims of this truly terrible tragedy...it threw the spotlight on modern slavery, an otherwise unknown crime, leading to changes in legislation."

The disaster led to new laws for workers' protection, prompting the implementation of the Modern Slavery Act, and stricter regulations around cockle picking.

Mick Gradwell, the retired Senior Investigating Officer who led Operation Lund will be present at the event.

He said: "The workload was just ferocious. For two years it was pressure with little let-up.

"The challenges included scared and missing witnesses, communicating in and translating from another language and massive press interest."

Clive Grunshaw, police and crime commissioner for Lancashire, added: "The new exhibition remembers the victims and highlights the work of Op Lund to secure justice for those who lost their lives.

"This is another example of the work that's gone into making the museum a success."

In addition to the exhibition, the museum offers 16 other displays.

The Lancashire Police Museum is open on Thursdays and Fridays, from 10.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4pm and is staffed by volunteers.