Man attempts record swim of the River Severn

Kevin Brady expects to swim more than 10 miles per day to complete the trip in three weeks

A man is attempting to become the first person to swim the length of Britain's longest river, the River Severn.

Kevin Brady, 32, of Gloucester, aims to conquer the waterway, from its source in the mountains of mid Wales to the Severn Estuary, for charity.

The river is 220 miles (350 km) long and has the second biggest tidal range in the world.

Mr Brady's latest adventure follows a 140-day US challenge last year to canoe the length of the Mississippi River.

'A bog'

He said the source of the River Severn would be "a bog" and anticipated a day or two of walking before reaching a section deep enough to start swimming.

The route begins at the river's source in Plynlimon, Powys, and will carry Mr Brady through Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire to the Severn Estuary, under both the Severn Bridge and the Second Severn Crossing, before finishing at Severn Beach near Bristol.

Mr Brady has been training for several weeks ahead of his challenge

His website highlights a number of problems he might face, such as "hypothermic temperature water, fast currents, sharp debris, treacherous undercurrents, parasites, pollution and large boat traffic".

He added: "I spoke to a guy who lives in Newnham who surfs the Severn Bore and he said he has seen oil barrels, tyres, dead sheep and even dead dolphins coming up and down the river.

"That's where it's going to get really interesting."

Severn facts

• The Severn flows for 220 miles from its source in the Welsh Cambrian mountains before reaching the sea in the Bristol Channel

• The level of the river can change within hours depending on rain fall

• Its waters pass beneath an icon of the Industrial Revolution at Ironbridge, Shropshire

• Below Stourport-on-Severn the route becomes busy with river craft

• Around Worcester there may be an encounter with Keith the seal, who has been spotted on that section of river in recent years

• Below Gloucester the Severn becomes tidal, making it extremely difficult to swim against incoming tides

Mr Brady plans to swim more than 10 miles (16 km) per day, to raise money for the Superhero Foundation, the charity which he co-founded with his cousin and fellow endurance athlete Jamie McDonald.

Last year he spent 140 days canoeing the length of the Mississippi River in the US from its source in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico - a distance of more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km).

Mr Brady expects it to take up to three weeks to swim the 220-mile river