Buddhist monks have said prayers for the victims

A leading member of Morecambe's Chinese community, Gina Tan, made the claim at a memorial service at the town's Central Methodist Church on Saturday.

Survivors had told her 24 cocklers had gone out, even though only 19 bodies were found, she said.

On Sunday a Lancashire Police spokesman said: "We cannot rule out finding more bodies."

Gina Tan, or Sister Tan as she is known, told the congregation attending the service on Saturday: "There were 24 dead. Nineteen bodies have been found. Another five bodies are at sea."

They came to this country thinking they were going to have a better life - they didn't realise that the sea would take them away Gina Tan

Geraldine Smith, MP for Morecambe and Lonsdale, said: "We need to know how many people have died. We deserve to know.

"The information has come from some of the cockle pickers who were rescued and survived.

"They will have had a good idea how many were out in the bay. It is important that this is established and I will be contacting Lancashire police."

'Untrained'

A Lancashire Police spokesman told BBC News Online: "We are not actually looking for any more bodies.

"But we can't rule out finding any more. However, that has always been our position."

Sister Tan, talking about those who died, said: "They came to this country thinking they were going to have a better life.

"They didn't realise that the sea would take them away."

I am absolutely being made a scapegoat David Eden Liverpool Bay Fishing Company Fishing boss protests innocence Synod condemns traffickers

Official figures show 19 people died and 16 survived when the cocklers got trapped by rising tides.

So far, seven people have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and have been released on police bail.

Two survivors and a fishing boss, among those arrested, released statements on Friday denying responsibility for the deaths.

Survivors Gua Lin, 30, and Lin Mu Lung, 29, said they were being paid "a pittance" for picking cockles in the Lancashire bay.

Reading the statement, the men's solicitor Trevor Colebourne said they were "untrained and blatantly unaware of the risks involved."

Mr Colebourne added: "They were required to work regardless of weather conditions and frequently after nightfall."

The pair are asylum seekers, who are now in the custody of the Immigration Service.

Fishing boss David Eden also denied any blame, claiming he was being made a scapegoat.