Boxing Day dippers brave North Sea at Seaburn and Tynemouth

Dippers were asked to don costumes and this duo went as a Christmas tree and whoopee cushion

Thousands of people braved the cold North Sea for Boxing Day dips across the North East despite high winds.

One of the biggest was at Seaburn beach in Sunderland where about 1,000 hardy souls took to the water.

Organisers Sunderland Lions Club urged dippers to don fancy dress and blow the Christmas cobwebs away by raising money for charity.

There were similar scenes in Redcar in Teesside and Longsands in Tynemouth despite warnings of high winds.

RNLI lifeboat crews made sure dippers were safe at the 50th Boxing Day Dip at Redcar Esplanade organised by the Redcar Rotary Club.

Crews from Redcar RNLI were on hand to make sure no-one got in to difficulties in the chilly water

Strong winds along the coast made time in the water especially bracing, dippers said

Hundreds spent just a few minutes in the water at Tynemouth to raise money for charity