The King and Queen of the Channel, Kevin Murphy and Alison Streeter, are today leading two teams in a relay swim from England to France.

Kevin took the men's title outright on Friday when he completed his 34th swim in 15 hours 14 minutes.

"The first 10 hours were fine," he said. "But the last five hours were a nightmare. It took that long to cover the final four miles to the French coast. The wind got up and the conditions were far from good."

Mr Murphy, who is a journalist with Independent Radio News, had previously shared the King of the Channel title with Mike Read, as they had both completed 33 successful Channel swims.

This morning, Kevin and Alison, who has 43 solo Channel swims to her name, set off from Abbotscliffe Beach, just outside Dover, to compete in a relay swim to France.

The teams are made up of swimmers who have been staying at the Hubert House hotel in Dover. Among the men's team is Peter Hanson, who runs the hotel with his wife, Jenny. Kevin's wife, Jane, is among the members of the women's team.