A mum-of-two has completed a mammoth swimming challenge to raise money for a charity close to her heart.

Paula Foreman, from Leybourne, swam 26.2 miles for Breast Cancer Now after seeing one of her best friends battle against the disease.

The 48-year-old completed the gruelling task in a time of 16 hours and 18 minutes.

She did the swim at Nemes Diving and Watersports Academy at Holborough Lakes, near Snodland, on Friday.

Mrs Foreman, who's reached her £5,000 fundraising target but is still taking donations, decided to do the swim after friend Julie Kelly was diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy over the past couple of years.

The Willowmead resident is no stranger to long distance swimming either. She swam from England to France in 1992 and the following year from England to France and back again.

Mrs Foreman, who works as a PA, wore just a swimsuit, hat and goggles as that’s what she’s used to under the British Long Distance Swimming Association rules.

Before embarking on the challenge she said: “It’s such a hard thing to explain. You have to keep thinking to yourself – ‘another five laps, another five laps’. You have to keep telling yourself to keep going."

Mrs Foreman was allowed to stop once and fuel up, but only by treading water while taking a drink and a small snack from her team who were kayaking along the route with her.