Early-morning swimmers have entered the water at Britain’s oldest swimming club at the Serpentine in Hyde Park, west London, after the easing of coronavirus lockdown measures in England.

Serpentine Swimming Club members usually take to the Lido area daily between 6am and 9.30am and also during a famous frosty dip on Christmas Day, but had been barred during the pandemic restrictions.

Now they have been authorised to resume swimming while complying with social distancing guidelines.

The return to the Hyde Park waters comes after people in England were told they could enjoy sunbathing and picnics outdoors once again. Stricter measures are still in place in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.