A DORSET doctor took the plunge and swam across the Strait of Gibraltar to Africa, raising nearly £1500 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Gareth Edwards, a 45-year-old GP at Westbourne Medical Centre, swam ten miles in four hours and 34 minutes with his friend Daniel Bryson, 39, also from Bournemouth.

Dr Edwards explained: “Daniel successfully swam across the English Channel two years ago and invited me to join him on the Gibraltar Strait’s swim.

“We trained in the waters off the beaches of Bournemouth and Poole and were supported by a safety boat and a pilot boat arranged by the Gibraltar Straits Swimming Association.”

The pair swam from Tarifa in Spain to Almansa Point in Morocco and their achievement also made the Spanish papers.

This stretch of water is renowned as one of the world's busiest shipping channels and is home to large numbers of dolphins and whales. It also has powerful currents, which can reach more than three knots.

Danny is now attempting a world-record swim, back and forth along Lake Windermere for the longest open water relay swim which will take over three and a half days.

He hopes to raise £5000 which will be matched by his employers, St James’s Place. Visit justgiving.com/gareth-edwards19 or justgiving.com/dannyintercontinentalswims.