Emergency services have denied they overreacted in helping almost 200 cocklers off the deadly sands of Morecambe Bay.

On Saturday morning, a full-scale search and rescue operation was launched when the coastguard received reports that cocklers were trapped four miles offshore.

Comments were made in the media earlier this week, criticising the coastguard, Cumbria Police and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for an unnecessarily strong reaction.

However, Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman Mark Clark said they had no choice but to act when the call came at 9.48am: "As far as we were aware, the cocklers were four miles out with no way of getting back.

"None of us want another death out there."

A collision between two tractors taking cocklers to the precious beds had left them trapped in the middle of the Bay, four miles from Newbiggin, according to the emergency call.

Two hovercraft, two rescue helicopters and three lifeboats were scrambled to help the cocklers off the sands, which earlier this year killed 21 people when they were trapped by the onrushing tide.

Once at the scene, however, the emergency services found some of the 192 cocklers did not want to leave, with the turn of the tide about four hours away.

Mr Clark said: "The tide could have very easily cut them off. Three people refused to leave until they collected boards and bags. They don't seem to care about safety when they can make a few bucks."

However, he said the considerable resources put towards the incident had not affected the coastguard's ability to deal with other potential tragedies.

RNLI spokesman David Rendall said there was no overreaction: "It was a dangerous situation."

He added the Morecambe lifeboat crew involved had already scrambled to more than 20 cockling incidents this year.

Bay shellfish are still in great demand throughout Britain and Europe, meaning large profits are there to be made.

A member of the British National Party on holiday in the area sought to make political capital from the incident, which involved Chinese and Scottish cocklers, by handing out party leaflets. Later, another BNP member, national spokesman Dr Phil Edwards, told the Gazette that the party wanted the cockle beds to be exploited only by "indigenous Britons".

Coastguard watch manager Ged Lynch said cocklers were still a constant worry, especially seeking beds further and further out as inshore beds were exhausted: "You are on tenterhooks all the time.

"We are warning them and they say it's all right there's a trailer and a Land Rover but if that got bogged down we have got a big problem. They really haven't got a clue."

The MPs whose constituencies straddle the area have backed the emergency services.

Barrow and Furness MP John Hutton said: "I do not feel it was in any sense an overreaction but rather the sensible thing to do in the circumstances they witnessed.

"Those who ignore the advice of the emergency services do so at their own peril."

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP Geraldine Smith said the emergency services could not take any chances. "To say they may have gone over the top is another example of people not being aware of just how dangerous Morecambe Bay can be."

She referred to the cocklers who refused to be assisted off the sands as "completely irresponsible".

She called for controls on cockling and said a licensing fee could be charged which could pay for regulation to improve safety.

Cumbria Police spokesman Greg Stephenson said they were investigating the alleged collision.