A Channel swimmer attempting a gruelling non-stop double crossing had to be plucked from the sea after suffering a suspected heart attack and pneumonia.

Builder Justin Legge - the son of the late Kent comedian and fundraiser Dave Lee - was on the home stretch of the epic challenge yesterday when he got into difficulties.

The 51-year-old from Canterbury was attempting the return trip from Dover to Calais, and had completed the first leg in an impressive nine hours and 38 minutes.

But as he made his way back to Kent he developed a cough caused by a life-threatening condition most often experienced during water immersion, which sees fluid accumulate on the lungs.

It forced him to abandon his charity swim and be helped into the official escort boat, where he was given treatment and comforted by his wife, Charlotte.

He is now being treated on a cardiac ward at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where medics say he has pneumonia and may have suffered a heart attack.

Justin, a dad-of-two from Bridge, was 15 hours and 15 minutes into his valiant bid when he was forced to abandon the swim.

Speaking afterwards, wife Charlotte said: "He was so pleased with his time from England to France, but it was the right decision to get out.

"It just proves what an enormous and extreme challenge it was. Justin put in a heroic effort.

"He was so close to completing it, but at the end of the day his health is far more important."

Justin is no stranger to the pain of endurance performance, having competed in triathlons, an Iron Man, cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats, and swam the Channel for Blood Cancer UK in 2020.

This time he was attempting the rarely achieved double crossing to raise money for Windchimes in Herne Bay, which provides holiday breaks for disabled and disadvantaged children.

Justin is hoping to raise £40,000 and so far has almost £25,000 donated on his gofundme page.

News of his plight promoted a huge wave of support on social media, with supporters praising his "heroic" effort and calling him a "legend".

"The support during and after the swim has been absolutely incredible," said Charlotte today.

"So many people have been following his journey and we can’t thank everyone enough for their kind words and caring messages.

"I am visiting him today, but his brother Darren was with him last night and said he seemed quite well within himself.

"He's doing OK but the doctors just want to be sure.

"It's an extreme sport and doesn't come without risks.

"It was a really, really tough decision for him to pull out but I think his coach would have done so if he hadn't himself.

"Now it will be lots of rest and getting well again."

On Justin's last Channel swim in 2020 - which he completed in a time of 11 hours and 36 minutes - he helped pluck three migrants from a sinking kayak as he returned to Kent in a pilot boat.

He and his team spotted the flimsy inflatable drifting midway between France and England, and pulled the occupants onboard after calling the Coastguard for help.