Although there’s only just over a week to go before aspiring Channel swimmers descend on Dover for the first training weekend of the new season, the cold water is still not very inviting.

So when staff of the Kittiwake pub at Whitfield decided to swim the equivalent of the Channel distance to raise money for charity, they opted for the warmer water of the pool at Dover Leisure Centre.

Pub manager Gary Spratt and his team made an early start in the pool on Tuesday morning to start the first of the 1,378 lengths needed to reach their target.

They were expecting it would take them until 6pm that night but they managed to do it in just over four hours, finishing at 12.15pm.

They were raising money for Home-Start. “It’s a local charity and we are a community pub so we wanted to give something back to the community,” said Mr Spratt. They expect to raise £200.

Spurred on by their success, they are now considering a cycle ride, covering the distance of John o’Groats to Lands End, on exercise bikes!