Storms continue to hamper the investigation into a helicopter crash in Morecambe Bay, coastguards said this morning.

Six men died in Wednesday evening's accident and another man is missing presumed dead.

Rescuers called off the search for missing Keith Smith, 57, from Stockton-on-Tees, after forecasters predicted gale force winds.

A spokesman for HM Coastguard in Liverpool, which is co-ordinating the search, said: ''The search remains suspended as we are expecting winds of around storm force 10 over the next few days.

''The seas will be too high to conduct a search.'' Search teams hope to return to the Lancashire coast next week in a bid to trace the helicopter's flight recorder, which may contain vital information about the cause of the crash.

The Eurocopter AS365N pitched into the sea as it collected workers from Centrica gas rigs on Wednesday evening.

Police and the helicopter's owners, Aberdeen-based CHC Helicopter Corporation, have refused to comment on speculation that mechanical failure was to blame.

It is understood no mayday call was received, and gas workers who witnessed the tragedy said the helicopter did not appear to clip a rig.

The men known to have died were passengers Alfred Neasham, 57, from Coxhoe, County Durham, Leslie Ahmed, 48, from South Shields, Robert Warburton, 60, of Heysham, Lancashire, John Shaw, 51, from Kirkcaldy, Fife and pilots Stephen Potton, 51, from Blackpool, and Simon Foddering, 33, from Preston.