A COCKLE picker who had to be rescued from Morecambe Bay with his teenage son - only weeks after 23 Chinese cocklers perished in the bay - has been found guilty of breaching Health and Safety laws.

Calvin Scott, 39, of Slackeys Lane, Southport, denied putting his life and three others at risk when he appeared before Lancaster Magistrates on Monday.

But he was fined £600 and ordered to pay £400 costs after being found guilty of failing to ensure the safety of people not in his employment while cockling in Morecambe Bay on April 18, 2004.

Scott and his group were cut off from the tide last April - 10 weeks after 23 Chinese cockle pickers died in the Bay - after being trapped by the tide when their quad bike got stuck in the mud.

Scott, his son, nephew and another were rescued by the RNLI hovercraft.

Scott, who had worked on the bay for a year prior to the incident, said he had consulted tide tables and weather reports and had taken a compass with him.

Now the Health and Safety Executive is trying to drum home the message that forward planning is essential to ensuring safety during cockling.

Spokesman Tony Trenear says: "While the Morecambe Bay cockle beds are currently closed to protect stocks, Mr Scott's prosecution should serve as a warning to those carrying out cockling in other areas."