THE DEATH toll of cockle pickers whose bodies have been pulled from Morecambe Bay has now risen to 18.

The casualties include 16 men and two women, all of Oriental origin.

Police and Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescuers were called at 9.30pm last night (Thursday) after reports that about 25 cocklers were stranded on the sands.

The ensuing search involved RAF and police helicopters, using strong searchlight beams to search the sands, which are infamous for their dangerous quicksand.

The Morecambe RNLI Inshore Lifeboat was also involved.

At 10am, a police spokesman said: "The tide has now turned and because of safety reasons we are now having to purely rely on air and off-shore support in carrying out our search."

The number of survivors has risen to 14.

They have all been taken to a local authority rest centre where they are being provided with welfare support.

Lancaster City Council's Corporate Director for Community Services Peter Loker said: "This is a tragic incident and we are all very saddened by what has happened.

"As a response to this tragedy Lancaster City Council has provided a temporary rest centre for survivors of the disaster in order to provide safety, food and warmth.

"Although the city council has no involvement in the permitting of cockling we continue to be involved in seeking a solution."

Representatives from the authority will be attending a meeting, being held at Morecambe Town Hall later this month.

"This event had already been organised by the North West and North Wales Fisheries Committee to bring together all statutory bodies with an interest in cockling in Morecambe Bay. However, given today's tragic events it may be that that this meeting is brought forward. We will be calling for more urgent consideration to be given to the safety aspects surrounding cockling activities."

As the operation continues, calls have been received from local residents expressing sympathy for those who have died.

Cllr James Airey, Leader of the Conservative Group on Lancaster City Council, said: "I am appalled by the dreadful events in Morecambe Bay and saddened by the loss of so many lives. I would like to pay tribute to the rescue services who, not for the first time, have been called upon to rescue cocklers from the Bay."

He voiced growing calls for the boom in cockling in the Bay to be tackled.

"The time has now come for a whole Bay conference to discuss issues arising from the sudden boom in cockling in the Bay. Cockling cannot be allowed to continue as it is at the moment," he said.

"All cocklers should be registered, access to the Bay controlled, and safety should be paramount with relevant safety and environmental clean-up measures paid for by the cockle businesses for whom the opportunity for profit has had such unwelcome consequences."

The Conservatives have called for an urgent item be added to the agenda for the meeting of Lancaster City Council on Wednesday, February 11, to consider the issues arising from the disaster.