HUNDREDS of swimmers set off from Bournemouth Pier this morning on a challenging 1.4 mile charity swim.

The British Heart Foundation Pier to Pier event saw the intrepid participants split into two groups - identified by their yellow and red swimming caps - which set off at 10am and 12 noon respectively.

Hundreds of family and friends lined the promenade along the route of the swim, and were thronged around the finish line at Boscombe Pier.

First in was Pasan Muthumala, 31, who swims regularly with a club in Swiss Cottage, London.

"The conditions were pretty good, and it feels good to come in first," he said.

"It is the first time I have been to this event and I enjoyed it, I like to keep fit and it is nice to be supporting a good cause."

Pasan was welcomed to the shore by his wife and friends.

In third place was 15-year-old Sam Ball, from Christchurch, who was taking part for the seventh time.

Incredibly, he came fifth two years ago and fourth in 2015, setting a trend to aim at next year.

"It was quite windy out there and a bit choppy as well, harder than last year which was quite calm," he said.

"I have been into swimming and water sports for a long time and some people in my family have had heart problems, so I thought I would try and help out."

More dauntingly, Sam, part of Branksome Chine Surf Lifesaving Club, is off to the surf lifesaving championships in Devon today.

The Pier to Pier - Europe's biggest outdoor swimming event - has been running for many years and regularly raises around £100,000 for research into heart diseases and support for sufferers.

The event was postponed last month due to choppy conditions, but despite a somewhat gloomy start to the day Sunday had good swimming conditions.

Another swimmer who travelled a distance to take part for the tenth time was 50-year-old Alan Garnall, from Sussex, who said at the finish line: "It is always more challenging when the weather is against you, and it was a bit rough today.

"It feels good to be out of the water now.

"It is a really beautiful location and there is always a good buzz, and it is a great place to unwind afterwards."

Andy Coles, the charity's fundraising event manager, said: "Coronary heart disease remains the single biggest killer in the UK.

"It is responsible for over 250 deaths in Bournemouth each year, so it’s vital that we can raise as much money as we can from events like the Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim in our search for the breakthrough."