Properties raided in cockling inquiry

British police investigating the deaths of 19 Chinese cockle pickers at Morecambe Bay have carried out a series of raids.

UK police chiefs are focusing their efforts on tracking down "gangmasters" who they believe sent 17 men and two women to their deaths.

Officers raided properties in Liverpool, UK, in connection with the deaths, a Lancashire Constabulary spokesman confirmed last night.

He said: "Lancashire police officers, along with their colleagues from Merseyside, have made a number of visits to addresses in Liverpool.

"The purposes of these is to follow up on intelligence we have gathered during our operation following the tragic deaths of so many people."

The spokesman said no more information on the operation was currently available, and could not confirm if the properties housed the gangmasters they were looking for.

He added: "I can only say that searches of the premises have taken place."

Police last night gave up hope of finding any more survivors.

Search teams continued to work at Morecambe Bay, in Lancashire, but their purpose was now more about "recovery than survivors", a spokesman said.

UK police say they expect to make arrests within days rather than months.