HEAVY rainfall anf high tides are causing dramatic shifts in the Morecambe Bay sands making them more treacherous to navigate.

Cedric Robinson MBE, the Queen’s Official Guide to the Sands, said there had been ‘vast changes’ to the Bay during the past year.

“They are the biggest changes I’ve seen in all my life time and it’s all around the Bay,” said Mr Robinson. “The tides are coming higher and faster. It only takes two hours to fill the whole of the Bay.”

Mr Robinson, who has lived in Morecambe Bay his whole life and has just started his 48th year guiding people safely across the potentially treacherous sands, said gullies have turned into deep ravines - some so big that a double decker bus could be lost out of sight.

He said that when the tides come in, sand and air are pushed into the gaps, which creates quick sand.

“The river moves every day but even more so when it gets encouragement with heavy rainfall and big tides," he said. "It means the river moves far more frequently and moves more sand.

"Gullies that normally have little water in them are just delved out and made into ravines.

“I’m sure it’s something to do with global warming. When rain comes now it comes down so heavy and fast.

"It can be a safe environment (on the sands) one minute and the next it can change suddenly.”

On the last walk of the season in October, Mr Robinson said he could not take a group from the normal starting point at Arnside due to soft sand and instead went from Silverdale and finished at Arnside promenade.