Coastguard fury at Solway rescue

The Coastguard says safety must be a priority on the Solway

The Coastguard has hit out at people putting to sea with "no concern" for safety after a late-night rescue operation on the Solway Firth.

Rescue teams were called out to search for the same cockling gang for the second time in less than a fortnight.

One cockler and two boats were found adrift by a Silloth lifeboat just before 0100 GMT on Wednesday.

The Coastguard criticised the cocklers for setting out without proper safety equipment in the hours of darkness.

Annan and Portling Coastguard rescue teams, Silloth RNLI inshore lifeboat, Nith inshore rescue and police were called out at about 2130 GMT on Tuesday.

They searched the Nith estuary and Blackshaw Bank area of the Solway Firth where the cockling dinghies were reported to have suffered engine failure.

A man was eventually found uninjured and was taken ashore while the heavily weighed down cockle dinghies were anchored off Carsethorn Point.

The Coastguard, RNLI and other independent lifeboats exist to save life at sea but do not exist to routinely rescue individuals who have no concern for their own safety or the safety of others Sue Todd Coastguard Rescue Co-ordination Manager

Rescue co-ordination manager Sue Todd said the same group had been involved in similar incidents before - most recently on 18 March.

"Clearly they have learned nothing from their previous experience and continue to put to sea in vessels which are not equipped to be out during the hours of darkness," she said.

"They have no navigation lights, no VHF and their stability is compromised due to the overloading of cockles - reported to be at least two tonnes of cockles on each of the two boats.

"The Coastguard, RNLI and other independent lifeboats exist to save life at sea but do not exist to routinely rescue individuals who have no concern for their own safety or the safety of others."

She said it was common sense to make sure a boat's engine was reliable, it was not overloaded and there was a method of raising the alarm - none of which was evident in this rescue.

The Solway Firth has only recently reopened to legal cockling when a new licensing system was introduced.