The bed is expected to attract cockle pickers from all over the UK

Cockle beds in the Lancashire bay were closed in April by the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee (NWNWSFC) to protect stocks.

Steven Atkins, chief executive of the NWNWSFC, said the bed at Fleetwood would be open from Tuesday.

He said: "It's not a place where cockles are normally found, so it might as well be fished. We hope it will be well-managed."

Large numbers

He added: "We hope there shouldn't be any significant disturbances to the local community.

"The bed is close to the shore and so is relatively safe."

The bed is expected to attract cockle pickers from all over the country.

My Atkins said it was difficult to estimate the number of people who would go to Fleetwood to cockle, although it could be from between about 100 to more than 200.

Local fishermen have previously said they were worried that lifting the ban will lead to large numbers of inexperienced cocklers flocking to the bay.