THOUSANDS of people turned out in a hailstorm on Christmas Day for a dip in the icy seas to raise money for Macmillan Caring Locally.

The White Christmas Dip attracted around 5,000 people to Boscombe beach with hundreds stripping off into fancy dress costumes for a sponsored swim in the waters.

Check out all the pictures here 

The event, organised by Macmillan Caring Locally and Tommy Baker is now in its sixth year and organisers say this was the biggest yet.

Started in 2008 by the Baker family, the event has become a tradition over the years for many supporters of the Macmillan Unit at Christchurch Hospital.

It rapidly gained local interest and earlier this year the charity made it one of their official events.

Organiser Tommy Baker said: “It was hailing when we went in the water this year.

“But despite the weather it was our best attended event ever.

“It was so good. We managed to fill up both car parks and there must have been 5,000 people there in total with people watching and going in.

“One man was dressed as a bunch of grapes, I went in as a gingerbread man, others were superwomen and one person was a gnome – there was a real variety.

“I’m still hopeful we would have raised £20,000 in total.

“Before the event we had raised £12,000. It’s brilliant we raised so much – it’s only the sixth year of the event.”

He added: “I was so cold afterwards – I went and sat in a hot tub for half-an-hour.”

To pledge money to Macmillan Caring Locally go to whitechristmasdip.co.uk