LANCASTER (BRITAIN), Feb. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- British police investigating the deaths of 19 people who drowned picking cockles in northwest England bay said Saturday they expect to make arrests within days.

    Only 16, two white Europeans and 14 Chinese, survived after the group were caught in fast-rising tides in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire on Thursday night. Det Supt Mick Gradwell at LancashirePolice said he was chasing good leads in Merseyside, northwestern England, where officers believe the cockle pickers came from.

    Earlier, Gradwell said police needed to find out who had instructed the cocklers to go into the dangerous bay at night, and whether they did so in a lawful way.

    "It does appear that gangmasters were involved in arranging this cockle picking," he said.

    "We expect to make arrest within days rather than months," he said.

    He added that a number of gangmasters' names had been provided to police and were being checked.

    Police and immigration officers have begun interviewing some ofthe survivors, who are under social services care, through interpreters.

    They are also trying to identify the bodies and contact next ofkin under the help of the Chinese Embassy, the Coroner's Office and Lancashire County Council.

    A Lancashire Police spokesman confirmed the searches continuingat sea were now more about "recovery than survivors." Enditem