Health officials from the Port of London were today (Tuesday) in hot water after a serious blunder over the south Essex cockle ban.

On June 8, fishermen were forbidden from catching shellfish - including cockles, mussels, oysters and clams - in six fishing areas of the Thames Estuary after traces of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins were discovered.

However, a mistake by administration workers on Friday meant some fishermen believed the ban had been lifted on all areas of the estuary - which means they could have harvested cockles over the weekend which were infected.

The toxins can cause diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain just half an hour after they have been eaten and are particularly harmful for the elderly people and young children.

Cockles caught in the Estuary are distributed locally, nationally and are also sent abroad.

Late on Friday, the authority circulated an e-mail to Leigh cocklers wrongly advising them that restrictions had been lifted on three of the six banned areas - areas "two, three and four" - which includes Southend Pier and parts of Shoebury.

The blunder was not rectified until yesterday (Monday) morning.

A spokesman for the Port of London Health Authority said: "We took all possible precautions to rectify the situation and sent out another e-mail yesterday to make this clear. Of course, we apologise for the error."

Tony Meddle, who represents Leigh on the Kent and Essex Sea Fisheries Committee, said: "There are roughly seven boats working this area and the chances of them catching cockles in infected areas are pretty slim.

"Most boats had been working on the Kent coast anyway because of the ban."

By Chris Weeks

Reporter's e-mail: chris.weeks@notes.newsquest.co.uk

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