Pool lockdown closures lead to boost in open water swimming

Swimming in temperatures of 3C (37F) might sound a bit intense, but that is exactly what open water swimmer Harriet Green thrives on.

The swimming coach, from Sherborne in Dorset, has been taking to the sea or her local river to get her water fix for the past three years.

She said there had been a massive boost in the number of fellow swimmers doing the same because pools are closed during lockdown.

Swim England, which has urged anyone wanting to take up the practice to follow safety guidelines, external, has predicted a new trend in people wanting to swim outdoors.

While figures for the summer of 2020 are yet to be published, the Value of Swimming report from November 2019 showed 7.5 million people across the UK were swimming in open water or outdoor pools.

Video by Emily Ford