Hardy swimmers take Boxing Day charity plunge at Chasewater reservoir

Amid the early morning fog which gave Chasewater an eerie feeling, a large crowd of swimmers and supporters gathered at the Chasewater Watersports Centre to prepare themselves mentally and physically for the task ahead, with the water's temperature barely above 5°C (41°F).

As the countdown clocked down to zero, the participants made their way into the water, with shrieks and cries piercing the air as skin hit the cold water and some people stayed in for a few seconds, while others swam out as far as buoys visible about 50 metres away.

The event, which was organised by Chase Open Water Swimming, was raising money for Dementia UK, with a lot of the participants on the day saying that they were there to raise funds as they knew people who were suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative diseases and illnesses.

Fran Watkins from Wolverhampton is part of an open water synchronised swimming group and said she was doing the swim for the second time and it was worth a little bit of pain to help an important charity.

She said: "It feels good to be out here today, getting some fresh air after Christmas Day and doing it for a really vital cause.

"All of us have been affected in some way by Alzheimer's and dementia, such as a friend of mine who I was speaking to recently and who told me that his mother doesn't even know her name.

"It's been worth getting out here in the cold, getting the fresh air and raising funds for such a vital charity and, hopefully, making the world a better place."

There were a large range of diverse costumes among those taking part, with some people sticking to traditional swimming costumes, while others wore wetsuits and other specialised equipment for swimming in open water.

Other people took a more fun approach to their choice of costume, with at least two Santa Clauses seen diving in, as well as one person wearing a full inflatable dinosaur costume.

While some people were experienced participants, for others, it was their first chance to dive into the cold depths of Chasewater.

Jo Spencer from Burntwood was among those taking part for the first time, with the 47-year-old saying she had been watching previously and decided to give it a go this year.

She said: "We watched it all last year and I just thought 'why not?' and signed up to do it this year because it just looked like good fun.

"The appeal is that it's for charity and, on Boxing Day, you feel a bit sluggish, so the cold air and the cold water is going to make you wake up, as well as the atmosphere as it's such a good feeling here.

"There's a group of us, including my husband and son, and we wanted to be able to say that we could do five minutes in the water, although the water was really cold."