It was unbearable," recalls Lin in a matter-of-fact voice as her own mother sobs at her side. "The Chinese workers were caught up in it," said local fisherman Gary Cheetham. Mr Guy said: "At that stage they effectively came into a sea of bodies. Her brother and his wife were the only couple to die on the Lancashire sands, leaving their son an orphan. Gangmaster Lin Liang Ren would drive the workers to Morecambe from Liverpool and visit casinos while the men and women toiled through the night. Even in grief there is competition. The contrast is visually disturbing, a reminder that China is crushing several centuries of development into a few decades. The area of Morecambe Bay where 21 cockle pickers died is seen in this illustration released by Lancashire Police Credit: Reuters. "I can barely pay the fees for his high-school education. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Lin Liang Ren was jailed for 14 years in 2006, Research led by Durham University last year, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, HSBC says 1 bank buyout boosted profit by $1.5bn, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests. That anger grew as it became clear how desperate the victims' lives had been. Slavery 'worse' 10 years after Morecambe Bay tragedy - BBC News Morecambe Bay cockling disaster survivor Li Hua said he thought he "might just as well wait to die" before the emergency helicopter's thermal imaging camera spotted he was alive in the sea, The victims, aged between 18 and 45, were working to send money back to their families, Jurors in the manslaughter trial were taken out on the sands in a hovercraft, Mick Gradwell, who led the police investigation, claimed other similar disasters could occur. Our close friends and relatives understand that we cannot pay, but the others gossip about me.". VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Inside Out is broadcast on Monday 3 February at 19:30 GMT on BBC One North West and nationwide for seven days thereafter on the iPlayer. He may have been one of those who tried to call the emergency services; their panicked, mixed-up English pleas for help were replayed at the trial. "It is his debt now. It is not that I don't want to pay. Bo Li and Yan Li tried to spend the laundered money three weeks after being released from prison, The Li sisters were arrested after trying to spend 20 notes that had been taken out of circulation. One of them, Li Hua, was within seconds of becoming a victim. A week after she died, in 2004, I visited the family's home. In any case, she says, her son no longer wants to go to school. She makes 500 yuan (33) a month doing piecework - hammering the soles of shoes into place on her kitchen table. Oneupmanship does not come much more literal. I just can't. Since 2006, 201 licences have been revoked, but this is "the tip of an iceberg", he says. The men put the cash in a plastic container and buried it in the back garden, where it was later discovered by officers. But it is near the creditors so they used to come knocking all the time. "One women supports two children and me. It took a year to reach Morecambe. Mr Sheridan wants to see its remit extended into industries including social care and construction. [10], David Anthony Eden Sr. and David Anthony Eden Jr., from Prenton, Merseyside, who bought cockles from the work gang, were cleared of helping the workers break immigration law. "People tend to think that slavery is something to do with faraway countries with poor human rights records," he said. Where things are going right, the success stories - of giddy growth, sudden wealth and market domination - entirely justify the country's image as the nascent superpower of the 21st century. Morecambe tide faster than a man can run | The Scotsman The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. There is usually less risk than for a loan for college or business.". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, The burden of being cricket legend Tendulkar's son, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, HSBC says 1 bank buyout boosted profit by $1.5bn, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media. [8] A survivor testified that the leader of the group had made a mistake about the time of the tides. Cockle picking can be a deadly business however - in February 2004 a group of Chinese immigrants drowned after they were cut off by an incoming tide in Morecambe Bay. Sometimes, relatives help out so that her children do not starve. "I stayed in my husband's home for a while. No purchase necessary. Read about our approach to external linking. Rescue workers take away the body of one of the Chinese cockle pickers who died after they were trapped by the rising tide in Morecambe Bay in 2004 Tracy Brown, a Morecambe town councillor said . At a confiscation hearing in 2011, Bo, 46, and Yan, 43, were ordered to pay back about 1m which they had made. He does everything he is told without complaint or enthusiasm. The man and his wife survive on handouts from their three other sons. His first words are an apology. They were working and they died. Ghosts is a 2006 drama film directed by Nick Broomfield, based on the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster. Lawyers in London are pressing a claim for money from Britain's criminal compensation fund, but if a payment comes at all it could take years. 2023 BBC. The young woman shrugs as she ushers her son into the bedroom next door. On the evening of February 5, 2004, 23 men and women lost their lives after . Cockle Bay - YouTube Everything he says lives up to the archetype of the downtrodden peasant. The Praying Shell - Bolton-le-Sands, England - Atlas Obscura She refuses. The RNLI searched the waters to find the cocklers. It was freezing cold but I didn't feel it. It was the only way they could pay for the treatment. The money had been stashed by Yan Li's boyfriend Philip Freeman, 64. If I am dead, I will never be able to repay them.". Lancashire | Cockle tragedy memorial unveiled - BBC News As they stare into the camera, I notice the painfully inappropriate English slogan emblazoned on her T-shirt. Inset: bodies being removed after the disaster. One of them, Li Hua, was within seconds of becoming a victim. But they need education to lift them to a level where one of them can repay the debt, which will be passed on to the sons - as is customary in this part of the world. I thank him and the Minister for allowing me to speak briefly on this important matter. Was a May Day Attack by Pilgrims a Practice Run for a Massacre? I wish I could earn something now to ease their burden, but I can't leave my children alone. Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book. And perhaps some fatty scraps of meat. Clifford Coonan was . The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting vulnerable and exploited workers on the 15 th anniversary of the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster.. Twenty-three Chinese cockle pickers drowned after being trapped by incoming tides off the Lancashire coast on the evening of 5 February 2004, with a further 15 surviving. The deaths 10 years ago of 23 Chinese cockle pickers who were searching for a "better life" has had a lasting effect on all those associated with the Morecambe Bay disaster. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. In almost every home, it would start up almost as soon as I - or any other visitor - entered the house, and continue until we left. "I worry about their future," says the uncle. They cook a little extra and bring some for us. And well beyond 2004 cockle pickers have had to be rescued. Siblings Cai Zhixiang and Cai Huiling were orphaned by the Morecambe tragedy. On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. He said: "I think a lot about those who didn't survive, particularly at Chinese New Year, because it happened around that time. "It still makes me sad whenever I come here. A NORTH West Tory MP remained defiant today over an offensive joke about the Chinese cockle pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay. It is a tale of globalisation, of events on one side of the world rippling to the other and back, each time with tragic consequences. The cockles to be collected are best found at low tide on sand flats at Warton Sands, near Hest Bank. Li was lifted by violent waves as he struggled to swim against the tide. Apart from the senior hovercraft commander, many of the crew on that particular night on the hovercraft hadn't seen bodies in the water before.". His wife joined him after local snakeheads told her that migrant men find mistresses if they are separated from their spouses for too long. But they drive her to distraction. [8] A further two cocklers were believed to have been with those drowned, with remains of one being found in 2010. She is the stalwart of her family: a doughty, intelligent woman with the only skilled, white-collar job among all the people that we have been meeting. "We once lived in the hills, but it was too remote, too far away from the nearest school, so we moved," he says in a thick local dialect. The events of that . The authorities in Beijing have washed their hands of the matter. My uncle, auntie and grandfather help me. The GLA has had some success in dismantling crime rings in Cambridgeshire, Derby and Norfolk, yet the scale of the problem seems beyond its reach. A sculpture of a blood drop designed to honor those that have donated the precious liquid. On surrounding plots of land, meanwhile, neighbours are erecting huge new villas with the money sent back by family members overseas. Misery appears to be what he is used to. He said the team on the hovercraft covering Arnside in Cumbria began their "normal search patterns" when they made the grim discovery of the bodies. He died in Lancashire, so his mother killed herself in Fujian. The British government has paid to send the bodies home, but it is reluctant to do more for fear of encouraging other illegal immigrants. The Morecambe Bay cockle pickers tragedy: a survivor's story. In the under-regulated world of the booming cockling trade, a local gang culture had been developing since the 1990s, evolving into a turf war. He knows the creditors will never stop coming after him. BBC News. He cooks noodles for the family, helps his mother with the piecework, and trims his dreams to fit the new reality. A decade ago 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned when they were trapped by sweeping tides while working in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. "I was so tired last year that I had to stop and rest. "I adopted him as my son, but I am worried about his future," sobs his aunt. They have had to move. Mr Hua said: "It was pitch black and I was desperate. In 2013, only seven gangmasters were convicted for operating without a licence. "The situation is getting worse. More than three years after 23 Chinese cockle pickers perished on the Lancashire sands, most people in the United Kingdom believe justice has been done. Those who sent them to their deaths have not been punished as much as us." Mandarin, Fuzhou dialect, English. The former detective superintendent, who is now retired, said: "The main reason 23 people died in Morecambe Bay on this particular night was because of poverty in the Fujian province of China. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. How can the Chinese and the UK governments say that it is not their responsibility? Having already cut back its staff (only 37 investigators cover Britain), and with more job cuts expected, the GLA is struggling to carry on operating. Ghosts (2006 film) - Wikipedia He makes no first impression, creates no fuss, just sits quietly waiting for his chance to speak while others are pulling at the heartstrings. Chinese 'wake' as cockle-pickers return - The Irish Times Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month. A tribute to the Morecambe Bay Chinese cockle pickers and the talent of Christy Moore. In fact, these . The deaths 10 years ago of 23 Chinese cockle pickers who were searching for a "better life" has had a lasting effect on all those associated with the disaster in Morecambe Bay. Alan Sledmore, who guides people across the bay, said "The area is very . Activists are concerned about the impact of funding cuts on working conditions. Only 21 bodies were recovered following the Morecambe Bay tragedy but police believe 23 people died. (modern), The dangers of Morecambe Bay, where 23 Chinese cocklers lost their lives in 2004, include fast-rising tides and quicksands. Soon after he turned 19, he went to England. With China's economy racing along at double-digit pace and huge inflows of cash from overseas, this region has never had it so good. "Usually all we have to eat is noodles and rice. Hundreds of workers lined the Bay's sands in search for cockles, stretching out for miles in dangerous proximity to the treacherous rising tides. "Dad's only wish is that you study harder and harder and never act too proud. "But we did not make any dent into these wider criminal gangs who traffic people around the world," he said. The Gangmasters Licensing Authority is unsurprised. Xu says her brother went overseas after his mother was diagnosed with cancer. "I dare not tell my sons about our debts. Today marks 15 years since 23 people died in the Morecambe Bay cockling disaster. Yet many of the underlying causes, and especially the role of gangmasters, remain unresolved. Published 7th Feb 2004, 00:00 BST. Isaac Julien: 'What Freedom Is to Me' at Tate Britain review Michael Guy, lifeboat operations manager was on duty that night. Now living under witness protection, he told BBC Inside Out of his "despair" before help arrived. She was always crying. He believes the small gangmasters not following the rules may get caught, but the large ones are still out there. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Europe is a devilish prison. 2023 Atlas Obscura. It is as though the Chinese tragedy became a triumph, a vindication of Britain's way of dealing with disaster. The Chinese workers were unfamiliar with local geography, language, and custom. "I've been on those sands man and boy What happened that night was not only awful beyond words it was absolutely avoidable Even when the tide hit them, had they had anybody with them, like me, who knows the area, there was still a safe route off the cockle bed They could have walked to safety.". Mick Gradwell, the detective who led the investigation into the tragedy, said criminals were funnelling 1m per day to China by exploiting workers all around England. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. There is no anger or grief in his voice. "The accident was a disaster for me. ", There is little I can say to comfort her. Find Cockle Pickers Work At Morecambe Bay stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. In 2006, Liverpool gangster Lin Liang Ren was convicted of the manslaughter of the 23 . Instead of immigration vans, raids and endless spot checks, we need resources to be redirected into penalising exploitative employers and protecting workers. He said: "The water covered the wheel and the vehicle couldn't move. "So it had a lasting effect on them," he added. This abandoned limestone quarry now provides visitors with multiple, breathtaking viewpoints. He must be able to hear everything anyway, if not this time, then on countless previous occasions. It is as if they have fallen into a crevasse between justice and charity, from which there is no way out. Morecambe Bay is a large estuary in northwest England, just to the south of the Lake District National Park.It is the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats and sand in the United Kingdom, covering a total area of 120 sq mi (310 km 2).In 1974, the second largest gas field in the UK was discovered 25 mi (40 km) west of Blackpool, with original reserves of over 7 trillion cubic feet (tcf) (200 . Ren was sentenced to 12 years for manslaughter, 6 years for facilitating illegal immigration (to be served concurrently with the manslaughter sentence), and 2 years for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice (to be served subsequent to the manslaughter sentence). Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, HSBC says 1 bank buyout boosted profit by $1.5bn, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests. "We will probably never know where the money was hidden for the last few years but we are convinced it was kept from the original people-trafficking operation and other related crime.". . Now he had inherited two more and a debt of 150,000 yuan (9,940). Local fisherman Harold Benson is still traumatised by the events of 5 February 2004. Outside, there are building materials for some home improvements that have been shelved indefinitely. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "The scenario of migrant workers being promised a better life by working for a gangmaster on farms in the UK but then finding they're paid far less then they've been promised less than the minimum wage isn't uncommon." Her husband's death meant instant ruin. "But my mother almost never stops crying. In October 2013, it stopped monitoring some industries including forestry or apprenticeships and contract cleaning in the food industry when it should be expanding to include sectors with the worst working conditions. Su owes more than other families because she had to pay the snakeheads twice: once to get her husband to Germany and then, when he found no work there, to get him to Britain. The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australias Wetlands. My husband is dead. Professor Gary Craig, who led the study, said there was a "real problem" getting people to acknowledge that "slavery exists in the UK" and warned there were "accidents waiting to happen". A powerful statue sits on Scalestone Point, looking out over Morecambe Bay. The 23 deaths at Morecambe Bay highlighted the serious risks being taken by low-paid workers and the cavalier attitude of those supposedly responsible for them, but in Parliament efforts were already under way to tackle gangmasters. Is climate change killing Australian wine? It is an impossible burden for a landless farmer who is too old to find work in a factory. The main thing is to be able to look down on your neighbours. A month or two after arriving, he was dead - the youngest of the Morecambe victims. Inside Out is broadcast on Monday 3 February at 19:30 GMT on BBC One North West and nationwide for seven days thereafter on the iPlayer. These workers had no knowledge of the sea and hadn't been given any safety equipment or guidance by their gangmaster. In the early negotiations with Mr Chang, the local gang boss, Li was told the journey would take only a few weeks and that, at the end of it, he would be guaranteed work in a factory or restaurant. That afternoon, she ate with her grandson during his lunch break. In March 2006, Ren was jailed for 14 years at Preston Crown Court. She comes outside to see us off. "Maybe when the children are older, they can work and pay off our debts. He earned a lot in his first year and wrote to say that he was happy in Britain. Li Hua was trafficked by 'snakeheads' from China via Moscow to the UK. The problem is the creditors. But I have a few hundred thousand yuan worth of debts. Languages. He said: "The water covered the wheel and the vehicle couldn't move. It is less than she would earn at a factory, but at least she can stay at home and keep an eye on her son and his grandparents. They did not do anything illegal once they got to the UK. He already had four mouths to feed. "Three years ago, we were poor but our lives were tranquil. "I was just numb..then, I don't know how, a wave maybe turned me round. It is really unfair. They need to be repaid. [7] Ren, his girlfriend Zhao Xiao Qing and his cousin Lin Mu Yong were also convicted of breaking immigration laws. But she had to come back because her children's schoolwork was suffering in her absence. He wants to quit school and start work so that he can begin repaying the debt. The children couldn't bear to live in their old house, where the pictures of their dead parents hung on the walls. He has seen what they are like when they are here.". it says. Morecambe Bay cockling disaster, 2004 - BBC Archive Bo and Yan Li were jailed in 2009 for a scam linked to the deaths of the cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004. All were working illegally, picking cockles for hours on end to send money back to their families. And with that, he slips back into the background. To put her two children through school, she has borrowed more money, taking her debt to more than 300,000 yuan (19,900) . It probably makes little difference. She has not broken any laws, but the death of her husband in Morecambe has made her a fugitive from the family's creditors. Twenty years ago, the two-storey, red-brick building was probably the envy of the neighbourhood. The detective who led the investigation into the tragedy said the deaths had "lived with him" ever since. Su Zhenqin has seen her life go backwards since the Morecambe deaths on the night of February 5 2004. Work on Morecambe's cockle beds has ceased, and at the time action was promised to prevent such a tragedy happening again. "She has lost her mind. Today, it is one of the oldest structures in a community of new factories and villas. "There is no precedent All we can do is wait.". To earn money, I have to endure the depths of bitterness. BBC NEWS | England | Lancashire | Deadly sands of Morecambe Bay [6] Most of the victims were previously employed as farmers, and two were fishermen. Ten years after the cockle pickers' tragedy, we are still focusing on the arrival of migrants, not their rights, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. Bags of cockles on Morecambe beach as the search mission goes on. "It is not fair for the children. Worries about the future contrast sharply with the upbeat mood in Fujian. Gone_Gary_T Jazz Record Requests Additional comment actions. Gentleman will know that on that night 10 years ago, the cockle pickers could just as easily have set off from the Furness end of Morecambe bay, had the tides been . David Anthony Eden Sr. and David Anthony Eden Jr., a father and son from England, had allegedly arranged to pay a group of Chinese workers 5 per 25kg (9p per lb) of cockles. The windows are broken. Migrants such as Dong take the fast route into the global workforce, while tens of millions of peasants take the slow road, by labouring in Chinese factories making products for western consumers. According to the Health and Safety Executive, migrant builders account for 17% of deaths on building sites, though they comprise only 8% of Britain's 2.3 million construction workforce. Congleton MP Ann Winterton stunned an audience at a dinner when . Education - supposedly free - costs more than 2,000 yuan (132) a year. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Chen's mother wails when she sees me and falls to her knees to beg for help. The family has had to move. We left our families to make a better life. Ten years ago this week, 23 men and women lost their lives searching for cockles in Morecambe Bay. Det Sgt Derek Tinsley said: "[The Li sisters] clearly have no remorse for the way in which they obtained this money and wasted no time in trying to spend it on their release from prison. Back then, I assumed that the cries would end after a few hours or weeks or months. But he lost his life, and now Zhou has not only to look after their son and daughter, but also a sick brother-in-law. And there are numerous licensed gangmasters who violate the rules and exploit the loopholes." "We dealt with the people who were responsible for the deaths on the night. But they are not stupid. Chinese cockle pickers who died in Morecambe Bay, northwest England in 2004. You must go around the back of Red Bank Farm and it is a sharp left up on the on the banking, looking over the Bay. An industry source has informed me of numerous cases of gangmaster abuse over the past decade, from the hospitality industry to food processing and agriculture, saying that little has been done to change the situation. The favoured area for cockle picking is close to the low tide line near the confluence of the Keer Channel and the Kent Channel, approximately 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) north of Morecambe. At least 21 Chinese cockle pickers drowned in treacherous weather conditions in Hest Bank, Lancashire, on the night of 5 February 2004. [12], The 2006 film Ghosts, directed by Nick Broomfield, is a dramatisation of the events leading up to the disaster. The uncle, Chen Minyi, said he could not afford to keep them both, so the son stays with another aunt. On 5 February, Chinese cockle pickers were at work in the dark but facing the incoming tide. Morecambe Bay Disaster (Aftermath) - Hansard - UK Parliament Memories of the tragedy may have faded in the public mind. "It was very harrowing. "Someone told them that we had received compensation from the UK, but it is not true. Guo Binlong's brick-making business failed in China, so he went to Britain. Having heard so many wailing relatives in other houses, I was struck by the silence in this one. Yet, 10 years on, campaigners say workers are still being dangerously exploited in the UK. Accidental Drownings of Migrant Labourers in Morecambe Bay, England They were each jailed for two years at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday. It wasn't the creditors this time. When he returns home, he locks himself in his room. "Shouldn't the boy go and play next door?" Some 30 cockle pickers set out at 4 pm. The only contribution we made to the families is that because we did recover the people we gave them some closure - rather than people being lost at sea.". Tracy Brown, a Morecambe town councillor, told the Daily Telegraph that the remarks were "beneath . But the family is subsisting rather than living. This crude architectural hierarchy marks Zhou Xiaomei out as a failure. [15], In 2009, Ed Pien's work Memento, commissioned by the Chinese Arts Centre, was developed in response to the plight of illegal immigrants, especially those who died at Morecambe Bay. "If someone goes abroad, everybody in the neighbourhood lends them money because they believe they will be repaid in three or four years," Chen says. All I can think of is the Chinese cockle-pickers, poor sods. ", The scars of Morecambe's cockling disaster, North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, Palestinian hunger striker dies in Israel prison, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Offer subject to change without notice. Widow Lin Meiqin, who lives in China's Fujian province, has never remarried after her husband Lin YouXing died in the bay at the age of 38. It is not just economic hardship that drives them, he says, but also tradition and a spirit of adventure.
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