Cockle pickers filmed at Adur Estuary in West Sussex

Illegal cockle picking has been taking place on a large scale at a protected site in West Sussex, the BBC has found.

Groups of men, women and children have been filmed collecting large quantities of the clams at the Adur Estuary in Shoreham.

Cockles are a vital food source for birds and picking them can damage the conservation area's ecosystem.

Eating the shellfish is also risky as raw sewage is constantly pumped into the river by passing barges.