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

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 come and pick cockles, provided that they take only those that are 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.

Instead the view of 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.

Coun Anne Chapman, Lancaster and District Green Party, Lancaster