Druridge Bay skinny dippers miss out on world record

The skinny dippers braved 5.5C air temperature at sunrise

Hundreds of swimmers have braved the cold of the Northumberland coast in an attempt at a record-breaking skinny dip.

Despite more than 200 naked people running into the 12C sea at Druridge Bay at sunrise, they failed to break the world record.

Organiser Jacqueline Higginson said the event was still a "lot of fun".

The North East Skinny Dip was organised to raise money for mental health charity Mind.

Miss Higginson, 34, from Whitburn, took part in a previous Guinness World record dip last year.

The group of 413 people who took part in the Midsummer Skinny Dip in South Wales in June 2011, hold the current Guinness World record.

She said: "Today loads of us ran naked into the sea to raise money for Mind and to celebrate ourselves and our bodies.

"I did a skinny dip last year where we broke the world record, I don't think there was enough to do it today but there was enough of us for it to be a lot of fun."

The National Trust, which owns the section of beach the swimmers used, gave permission for the event to take place.

The air temperature in the area was reported to be 5.5C at sunrise.