checkbox arrays

[hargi]

using this code in a form

 <input type="checkbox" id="area[]" value="SRF" /> SRF
  <input type="checkbox" id="area[]" value="eSafety" /> eSafety
  <input type="checkbox" id="area[]" value="Projects" /> Projects

and this to try to get info out the other end

$area=serialize($_POST['area']);
echo $area;

but that just returns N;

what am i doing wrong

TIA

 

[hargi]

how would i make it into an array as when i want to enter the information into a database the values need to go into one feild

 

[hargi]

Thank