Pembrokeshire County Council have moved to allay fears amongst the community of Saundersfoot village that illegal cockle picking has been taking place on the resort's sands this week. Concerned members of the public contacted the Observer on Monday to report a large number of cocklers of Chinese origin spotted on the beach. However, county council have reassured the comunity that nothing illegal has been taking place over the past few days. "A port health inspector visited the beach on Monday and we sent officers down to the scene again the following day," said a spokesperson for Pembrokeshire County Council said. "Following thorough investigations, it was found that the group are not doing anything illegal, and would only be deemed so if they were putting something on the market for human consumption. "The group were in fact digging for clams and nothing untoward was going on. "We have been informed that they have visited the area before," added the spokesperson.