WARNINGS that a tragedy was waiting to happen came true when Morecambe Bay's treacherous sands claimed 19 victims last Thursday.

Experienced cross bay walker Alan Sledmore voiced his fears about the safety of inexperienced cocklers in the Citizen last December - only to see them tragically realised.

Mr Sledmore, leader of Arnside Coastguard, said this week his concerns had been ignored. But he added: "I wish I had been wrong."

Rapidly rising tides trapped a group of mainly Chinese cockle pickers last Thursday - 16 survived but 19 did not return to shore alive.

At the Morecambe Bay Partnership conference in October, he called on the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee to reconsider its plans to re-open the Warton bed to cocklers.

He also pushed for a stricter licensing system with more focus on health and safety, pointing out that two fast-flowing channels bordered the 'uniquely dangerous' cockle bed and more care was needed when allowing people to fish it.

He said at the time: "If they open it, it is going to be like a latter day gold rush with all and sundry coming here when they are not accustomed to the dangers."

But Dr Jim Andrews, the committee's chief fisheries officer, responded by saying: "It is not for me to stand on a beach and tell fishermen when it is safe to go fishing. How fishermen exercise their discretion with regard to health and safety is not my concern."

After Thursday's disaster, local fisherman Geoff Morton said: "She is beautiful but deadly. It is the most beautiful bay in the world but people just don't have respect for it.

"I feel sorry for the people who have died but they really should not have been out there in the first place. It was a tragedy waiting to happen."

Local cockler Phil Jenkins was due to go out to work in the bay at 3.30pm last Thursday but says he changed his mind because flooding had made the channels unpredictable.

He told the Citizen: " Some Chinese cocklers got their vehicles stuck in sinking sand last week and several of them were stuck up to their knees.

"The Bay is very dangerous but these people just did not realise. The sad thing is that they were getting paid less than us and they were sending the money back home - but look at the consequences."

Morecambe resident Derek Aldren, who has been fishing in the bay for 30 years, says: "The tide comes in at about six or seven knots - so fast that you can't run away from it - and this group left it too long to get off the sands."

In the past he has had to save holidaymakers from the quicksand and several from drowning when the tide has started rushing in.

"Something massive was going to happen some day," he adds.