morecambe bay cockle pickers

At least 21 Chinese cockle pickers drowned in treacherous weather conditions in Hest Bank, Lancashire, on the night of 5 February 2004. That last conversation with her son crushed much of her will to live; the hounding by the creditors finished her off. 2023 BBC. 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 . "Usually all we have to eat is noodles and rice. "From time to time I wake up in the night with a panic attack and remember them. Yet, 10 years on, campaigners say workers are still . I really don't know what we can do.". I am paralysed most of the time. I thought I might just as well wait to die. But I have a few hundred thousand yuan worth of debts. It is not just economic hardship that drives them, he says, but also tradition and a spirit of adventure. "Someone told them that we had received compensation from the UK, but it is not true. 152 Morecambe Cockle Pickers Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images Song Xinyao is a smart 17-year-old who dreamed of going to university. The absence of a social welfare net in China drives people overseas and then leaves their families exposed when something goes wrong. Because of a lack of resources its budget was cut by 17% between 2011 and 2014 the GLA's ability to investigate and prosecute employers is limited. His father went overseas to earn enough for his tuition. When he died it was such a loss. 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. The horrors imprinted on my mind, says Li Hua. A decade ago 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned when they were trapped by sweeping tides while working in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. Memories of the tragedy may have faded in the public mind. Gone_Gary_T Jazz Record Requests Additional comment actions. I thought I might just as well wait to die. To earn money, I have to endure the depths of bitterness. 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. All the victims were the main breadwinners for their families. Mr Hua was speaking to the BBC under the protection of the government's UK Protected Persons Service. At a confiscation hearing in 2011, Bo, 46, and Yan, 43, were ordered to pay back about 1m which they had made. A week after she died, in 2004, I visited the family's home. It was first described to me in February 2004 as one of China's most beautiful and deeply distressing forms of art. 2023 BBC. The problem has got worse and the resources directed to it are totally inadequate.". Li said: "I wanted to get justice for those who died. Read about our approach to external linking. But, unlike his father, he refused to accept that poverty was his lot in life. The cockles to be collected are best found at low tide on sand flats at Warton Sands, near Hest Bank. I know it would influence them in a bad way. "Our thoughts really are of sadness for the families. Effective regulations would benefit both migrant and local workers. 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 . The uncle, who earns 1,500 yuan per month, has repaid 20,000 yuan, but still owes 150,000. The boy is lying on the bed, still flicking through a comic book. ", The creditors have also suffered, she says. I guess he is also the poorest and least educated. One grandmother is still crying as I prepare to leave. "I adopted him as my son, but I am worried about his future," sobs his aunt. The windows are broken. "It was very harrowing. It is the complications that unsettle him. He said: "The water covered the wheel and the vehicle couldn't move. Ten of us used to live here," says Chen. Clifford Coonan was . "I thought I might just as well wait to die. Sole survivor cockle picker slave of Morecambe disaster - The Sun Her brother and his wife were the only couple to die on the Lancashire sands, leaving their son an orphan. When foreign tourists ignore the warnings not to drive onto - Reddit Dependant Son Xu Bin, 17 Debt More than 200,000 yuan (13,250) Monthly income 1,200 yuan (80). "I was just numb..then, I don't know how, a wave maybe turned me round. The organisation was set up to protect vulnerable workers in the shell fish, agriculture, food and food packaging labour markets but MPs and academics are campaigning for it to be given more powers. "There's the same number of unlicensed gangmasters as there is licensed, in the food-processing industry, for instance. "It was pitch black and I was desperate," he said. Morecambe Bay cockling disaster, 2004 - BBC Archive These early 19th-century kilns were used to make coke, a key Ingredient in steel production. Padgett said this about the sculpture, Its symbolism is intended to parallel humanitys openness to a larger dimension and the way cockle shells open as the tide comes in.. Almost a decade after the disaster, Mr Hua said he still has panic attacks. The main thing is to be able to look down on your neighbours. United Kingdom. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . The family is still in trouble. "I stayed in my husband's home for a while. "Building up hidden communities and building a life below official recognition.". "Sometimes I think if he hadn't died I would live a better life.". 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. Offer subject to change without notice. He said he "kept waving" at the helicopter. That afternoon, she ate with her grandson during his lunch break. File photo: Lancashire Police. Europe is a devilish prison. Read about our approach to external linking. All but two of the bodies have been found, identified and repatriated. On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Jeremy Clarkson slammed for mocking deaths of 23 Chinese cockle-pickers Slavery 'worse' 10 years after Morecambe Bay tragedy - BBC News During the subsequent investigation and trial, it emerged that the labourers were inexperienced, spoke little or no English and were unfamiliar with the area. 894646. Her only income - 300 yuan (20 a month) - comes from mixing concrete on building sites for other people's new houses. It seems workers have little confidence in reporting abuse to the GLA: "They don't seem to do much with the intelligence," a source told me. 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. It is not enough to live on, let alone pay interest. Guo Binlong's brick-making business failed in China, so he went to Britain. Dependants Wife Chen Yanchun, son Song Xinyao, 17, and the family's two grandmothers Debt 240,000 yuan (15,900) Monthly income 500 yuan (33). "It is not fair for the children. The UK Fujian Association gave 10,000 yuan (about 660) to many of the victims, but this was barely enough to pay for the funerals. 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. "Is that near Morecambe?" Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). A tribute to the Morecambe Bay Chinese cockle pickers and the talent of Christy Moore. "Ha ha, smile!" Nick Broomfield, who made the 2006 film Ghosts about the tragedy, set up the Morecambe Victims Fund with the Guardian journalist Hsiao-Hung Pai last August aimed at raising 500,000 for the victims' families. ", Dependants Wife Chen Jinyun and sons Lin Luan, 19, and Lin Huan, 18 Debt More than 100,000 yuan (6,625) Monthly income 600 yuan (40), Chen Jinyun is on the run. She breaks down again. By The Newsroom. Bo and Yan Li were jailed in 2009 for a scam linked to the deaths of the cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004. Her house-cleaning job brings in just 600 yuan (40) a month. She now lives at her uncle and aunt's home in the hills. "Three years ago, we were poor but our lives were tranquil. Published 7th Feb 2004, 00:00 BST. 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. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. When the creditors come knocking - at least once a month for the past three years - he begs for more time. There is no anger or grief in his voice. 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 garden was designed and built by young volunteers from the Princes Trust and the fire service in Morecambe. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. And they were gone just like that. ITV received a Bafta for its coverage of the seven-month trial, which ended in march last year. I was just lucky.". The Morecambe Bay cockle pickers tragedy: a survivor's story 2023 Atlas Obscura. Zhao Xiao Qing was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months for facilitation of illegal immigration and perverting the course of justice. I was just numb then, I don't know how, a wave maybe turned me round. [2] The Chinese workers were unfamiliar with local geography, language, and custom. Morecambe Bay cockling disaster's lasting impact - BBC News 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. The sculpture can be easy to miss. These lenders, many of whom are poor themselves, charge interest of about 10% a year. "I am sorry I couldn't invite you to my place. "I was on my own And then a helicopter came," he said. All she does all day is collect rubbish for recycling so we can get a little extra money," explains Chen. Chen says that is impossible now. Mick Gradwell, who has retired from Lancashire Police, said: "You're thrown into investigating international organised crime gangs, snakeheads, triads, international human trafficking. But I got caught trying to enter Japan," he recalls. "He told us the water was up to his neck and asked us to pray for him," says his wife. Read about our approach to external linking. "I have no plan. The widow's house is easy to spot in Shangjiang village. And Lena Chen - a Chinese woman living in Britain - sends a small amount of money before each spring festival. My husband is dead. And with that, he slips back into the background. Li Hua was trafficked by 'snakeheads' from China via Moscow to the UK. Please, Main image: Morecambe Bay. ", She shows me round her home. BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lancashire | Cockle pickers died from drowning What is inside is almost irrelevant. 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. The monthly interest, 1,000 yuan (66), is three times Lin's rent. 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. Back then, I assumed that the cries would end after a few hours or weeks or months. Xu says her brother went overseas after his mother was diagnosed with cancer. It is really unfair. I can't sleep with worry." Morecambe Bay. Ghosts (2006 film) - Wikipedia Ghosts is a 2006 drama film directed by Nick Broomfield, based on the 2004 Morecambe Bay cockling disaster. [11], Gangmaster Lin Liang Ren was found guilty of the manslaughter of at least 21 people (two further cocklers were thought to have been killed, but their bodies were never found). Those who sent them to their deaths have not been punished as much as us." The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. This abandoned limestone quarry now provides visitors with multiple, breathtaking viewpoints. Five of them depend on Yu's father's factory salary of 750 yuan. The authorities were so pleased with the outcome of Operation Lund (as the case was called) that investigators won last year's top criminal justice award. The Morecambe Bay cockle pickers: Market failure or - ResearchGate "The Chinese workers were caught up in it," said local fisherman Gary Cheetham. Her orphaned nephew Xu Bin has inherited debts of more than 200,000 yuan (13,250). The remit of the GLA, Prof Craig said, should be extended to include industries including "construction, hospitality and leisure and social care". Like most victims, Zhou's husband Cao Chaokun was not well educated. Li was lifted by violent waves as he struggled to swim against the tide. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (David Morris) on securing this timely debate. Cockle Bay - YouTube The money had been stashed by Yan Li's boyfriend Philip Freeman, 64. 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.". Barbara Storey, chair of SOS Polonia, a Polish community organisation in Southampton, said: "Abuse in gang labour is still common in the industries where migrants find work." Their father had died in an accident several years earlier, leaving the family deep in debt. Mandarin, Fuzhou dialect, English. In October 2011, 17 cockle pickers of eastern European origin were saved at the River Ribble estuary in Lancashire, 30 miles from the scene of the disaster. Cockle joke Tory MP is defiant - Manchester Evening News She really got on well with her son-in-law and now he is gone, she knows what problems we face.". Mr Gradwell claimed other similar disasters could still occur because people are willing to exploit the poorest in society for their own ends. In the Channel 4 documentary Benefits Street, viewers saw a group of Romanian workers who were owed wages by their gangmaster, who also held their passports. But 5,000 miles away in Fujian province, on the south-eastern coast of China, lives are still being sucked into the sands. 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. Was a May Day Attack by Pilgrims a Practice Run for a Massacre? "There is no precedent All we can do is wait.". Unable to read the warning signs on the beach, the victims were trapped while picking cockles by fast-moving tides on the notoriously treacherous sands. And on his first day . BBC NEWS | England | Lancashire | Deadly sands of Morecambe Bay She has not broken any laws, but the death of her husband in Morecambe has made her a fugitive from the family's creditors. How can the Chinese and the UK governments say that it is not their responsibility? Work on Morecambe's cockle beds has ceased, and at the time action was promised to prevent such a tragedy happening again. Is climate change killing Australian wine? He has seen what they are like when they are here.". He would be reunited with his wife as soon as hed found somewhere of his own to live, he was told. "Maybe when the children are older, they can work and pay off our debts. I had a warm and happy family even though we weren't rich. He said: "I think a lot about those who didn't survive, particularly at Chinese New Year, because it happened around that time. Police said they were part of a money-laundering gang that made 4m and had assets in the UK, Thailand and Norway. Although they don't say anything, I know they worry every day about debt. Instead of immigration vans, raids and endless spot checks, we need resources to be redirected into penalising exploitative employers and protecting workers. He said: "I think a lot about those who didn't survive, particularly at Chinese New Year, because it happened around that time. The doctor says it won't be long. Now we are on our own. "It won't be easy," says David Tang, the London lawyer who represents the victims. "I don't know how I will be able to pay for him if he succeeds. But they drive her to distraction. Dependants Wife Su Zhenqin and two daughters aged 10 and 14 Debt 300,000 yuan (19,900) Monthly income 300 yuan (20). We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the worlds hidden wonders. She refuses. Healthcare, which is more market-driven than in most capitalist countries, is a heavy burden. The Chinese workers were unfamiliar with local geography, language, and custom. ", At the bottom, he tags on a brief message to their two sons. But if something goes wrong, there is no bankruptcy law and scarcely any safety net - a poverty alleviation allowance of 3 per month per child is all that local government pays in cases of great hardship. The families' huge debts are now owed to relatives, friends and neighbours. Twenty-three Chinese cockle pickers drowned in Lancashire's Morecambe Bay in February 2004. Freeman, of Wiggington Road in Tamworth, received a four-month jail term suspended for 12 months. But she is dragged into poverty by debt and dependants. Benson, like many local fishermen, believes it was the negligence not only of the gangmasters but also of the authorities that was responsible for the tragedy: "In the summer of 2003, I rescued 50 to 60 Chinese folk who were stranded while cockling for a gangmaster That should have been a warning." During the last school holiday, he went to work in a factory paying 60p a day so he could start to repay the debts of the dead. "Tens of thousands of illegal Chinese workers were living in the country," he said. Think the car is still there completely buried, but surfaces occasionally when the channels change. Gangmaster-controlled work is worth 1.34bn to the UK economy, but only 950 labour providers are licensed under the act. ", As we leave, our driver, Lin Wanxiong, explains how Fujianese people have been travelling overseas to make their fortunes for many generations. Inside Out talks to Li Hua, the only cockle picker to be rescued alive from the Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy 10 years ago, "But the water was flooding so quickly some were dragged right away under the water.". Please, The subscription details associated with this account need to be updated. Cockle pickers - Morecambe Bay - 2004 - GLAA - Gangmasters and Labour

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