A haulage boss whose company transported cockles from Morecambe Bay to destinations as far away as Spain told a court how some of his drivers had been threatened by British fishermen when collecting cockles picked by Chinese workers.

Darren Howard, who runs Dan Howard International Transport, told Preston Crown Court that his company regularly collected lorry loads of cockles from the beach for Liverpool Bay Fishing Company owned by father and son David and Tony Eden.

He said that the transportation of cockles to Vigo, in Spain, began in the autumn of 2003 for a cost of around £1,750 a trip. Around Christmas of 2003, Mr Howard said he then began shipping the cockles to Kent rather than Spain because there had been complaints from Vigo about the quality of cockles being picked.

Originally the truck drivers were given a number and told to ring fisherman Chris Mossman if there were any problems on the beach. After a falling out between Mr Mossman and the Edens, Liverpool Bay Fishing Company started using Chinese cockle pickers. The drivers were then instructed to go and see the Chinese when they arrived on the beach instead of ringing Mr Mossman. The haulage company were not given anyone in particular to contact, just to go and see the Chinese, the jury heard.

Asked if there were any problems reported by his drivers Mr Howard said: "We had a few drivers threatened and had some doors opened on a truck and diesel thrown in the back over the fish." He said the trouble was caused by the British resenting the Chinese cocklers.

David Eden assured him this would not happen again and that the beaches would be shut down if the trouble went on, the court was told.

The haulage company was run from Mr Howard's office in France and the company owned two lorries. Transport for the cockles was often arranged at short notice and, if Mr Howard's lorries were busy, he would sub-contract the job to another haulage firm.

The night of the tragedy on February 5, when 21 cockle pickers lost their lives, a truck load of cockles was due to be transported to Spain, rather than Kent, for the first time in several weeks. Due to the tragedy the transportation never took place.

The first Mr Howard knew of the tragedy was when he was woken up at about 2am when his office phone was ringing. He was later told the people involved in the tragedy were the ones his vehicle was to be collecting from.

The court heard that Mr Howard continued to do business with the Edens some while later but on a smaller scale.

Lin Liang Ren, 29, from Liverpool, denies 21 counts of manslaughter. He also denies perverting the course of justice and facilitation. His 20-year-old girlfriend at the time Zhao Xiao Qing denies perverting the course of justice and facilitation. Ren's cousin Lin Mu Yong, 31, also from Liverpool, denies facilitation.

Father and son David Eden, 61, and David Eden (known as Tony), 33, both from Merseyside, the owners of Liverpool Bay Fishing Company, also deny a charge of facilitation.