Three more families fear their loved ones were working in the bay

Twenty people are known to have died when they were caught in fast incoming tides off Hest Bank in February.

Three Chinese families have contacted police to say they had relatives working in Morecambe at the time who have not been heard from since.

Officers from Lancashire are travelling to China on Wednesday to try to confirm the identities of all the dead.

Racial slur admitted

Meanwhile, a detective has been removed from the inquiry for using a racially offensive word.

Detective Constable Neil Thompson was taken off the inquiry after admitting using the slur during an interview with a suspect.

He has been given a formal written warning and removed from the investigation.

A Lancashire police spokesman said: "This is extremely demeaning for any officer, particularly when the case is one of such high profile national interest and concern".

Detectives will leave for China on Wednesday morning to speak to the families of the three missing people.

Charges dropped

Detective chief inspector Steve Brunskill, who is leading the two-week exercise, said: "We now believe we know the names of all 20 of the victims but we need to travel to China in order to obtain DNA evidence that will confirm the identities.

"At this time there are still three outstanding missing persons who were believed by their families to be cockle pickers at Morecambe, and have not been in contact since the tragedy.

"We will have a clearer picture about this after the work in China has been completed."

Inquiries are expected to take a further two to three months.

Two people arrested over the deaths of the cockle pickers had all charges against them dropped on Tuesday.

A further six arrested in connection with the tragedy have had their bail extended by Lancashire Police.

Four of these six are no longer suspected of manslaughter and are being questioned over immigration offences.