More than 1,200 take to sea for charity swim

More than 1,200 people from across the UK took part in a charity swim on Saturday.

Swimmers raised £270,000 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) in the 2024 Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim.

Fundraisers donned wetsuits and googles for the 1.4-mile (2.3km) route between Bournemouth and Boscombe Pier.

The swim is celebrating its 33rd year and it is one of the largest open water swimming events in Europe.

Each swimmer had a personal reason for taking part and gathering donations.

Trainee GP Maria Gorniok, 26, from Ealing and her dad Julian Gorniok, 57 finished the swim together.

Maria was born with a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White but she was not diagnosed until 2021.

She said she wanted to give back and raise money for vital research.

Kate Sparks, senior events manager at the BHF, said: “It was fantastic to see the passion and determination of our swimmers on Saturday.

"Every stroke they have taken helps to fund lifesaving research and without their commitment, we wouldn’t be able to help revolutionise treatments and transform the lives of millions of people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases."