SEVEN divers, including a man who was told he only had three months to live 10 years ago, are planning to make what they describe as the first-ever scuba relay crossing of the Channel.

Colin Osborne, founder and president of the men's cancer charity Orchid, is joining with two navy divers, an IT manager, two journalists and a shop owner for the underwater crossing.

They are planning to set off from Shakespeare Beach this Friday, depending on the weather conditions, and the crossing could take up to 24 hours with each of the divers swimming at a depth of 10 metres for half-an-hour at a time.

Mr Osborne said: "Whilst it will be cold, dangerous and require a huge amount of organisation, we are not just looking to achieve a world record.

"We are looking to help fight the battle against male cancers as it is far from won.

2006 is my 10th year in remission. This is not a day I thought I’d ever see when I was told I had three months to live 10 years ago.

"The first fundraising event I ever undertook for Orchid was a sponsored dive in the lake at Ilford Golf Club to see how many golf balls I could retrieve. It seemed a natural progression to celebrate our 10th anniversary with a sub aqua fundraising event."