Three Chinese have been charged with manslaughter and other offences in connection with the deaths of at least 21 Chinese shellfish pickers who drowned in a northwestern English bay in February, British police said on Thursday.

The trio, two men and a woman, had been interviewed by police right after the deaths and were re-arrested on Wednesday.

In all, seven people were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in February and were then released on bail.

Local police have been investigating whether the dead were illegal immigrants used as cheap labor by "gang master snakeheads" who organize groups of itinerant workers for poorly paid and hazardous jobs such as shellfish-collecting, or cockle-picking as it is known locally.

Lin Liangren, 27, has been charged with manslaughter, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and "conspiracy to commit facilitation," an offence relating to the organization of illegal immigrants.

Zhao Qingxiao, 19, faces charges of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and conspiracy to commit facilitation, while Lin Muyong, 29, is charged with conspiracy to commit facilitation.

British police informed the families of the victims in east China's Fujian Province by telephone right after the decision to prosecute the three was made.

Yu Lihong, the 27-year-old wife of Guo Binglong, who called home with a borrowed cell phone shortly before his death, said the snakeheads "deserve severe and fair punishment."

She said she wanted very much to go to the United Kingdom to see her husband for the last time.

The bodies of the 21 victims are still in the United Kingdom for evidence of the cause of death, according to British police, and it will be another month or two before they are be sent back home.

Another concern is financial compensation. Most victims, if not all, borrowed large amounts of money to pay for their trips to the United Kingdom and now their families live a miserable life.

"The compensation is not in place yet," said Lin Ruiqin, sister-in-law of the victim Guo Nianzhu, a father of three.

(China Daily July 3, 2004)