THE deaths of cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay last week was a disaster waiting to happen.

Nationally, urgent action is needed to stop exploitation by gang masters.

Currently their victims do not contact the authorities because they fear being sent home, so the Government should give those who provide information leading to the prosecution of gang masters or people traffickers, the right to work in this country for a set period of time (say five years).

This would encourage the victims to come forward and do much to bring an end to this type of despicable organised crime.

Locally, there needs to be a change to the management of cockle picking in the Bay. Under the current system the cockle beds are either 'open' or 'closed' and when they are open anyone can go and pick cockles, provided they take only those above a certain size.

Not only does that mean that we have people who have no knowledge of local conditions wandering around on the sands, but the cockle beds will soon be worked out and have to be closed again.

The view of the local Green Party councillors is that there should be a strictly limited number of permits, given only to those who can demonstrate a good knowledge of the Bay.

Not only would we be very unlikely to have another tragedy like last week's, but we could have a permanent, sustainable local cockle-picking industry that contributes to the local economy rather than the time-limited plundering of local resources that is going on at the moment.

The cockle beds should be closed immediately until such a system can be introduced.

Cllr Anne Chapman, Lancaster and District Green Party.