A SKILLFUL swimmer from South Woodford raised more than £1,000 for charity when he swam one-and-a-half miles between two of Britain's grandest piers.

Geoff Seeff, of Churchfields in South Woodford, splashed his way from Bournemouth and Boscombe alongside 1,200 other hardy souls as part of an event organised by the British Heart Foundation.

Mr Seeff, who is the Liberal Democrat's prospective parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green, said: "Although the weather was reasonable, strong winds whipped up the sea to create massive breakers.

"I was tossed and turned in the waves as if in a washing machine. The current did not allow us to keep parallel to the shore and at one point I thought I would get to France quicker than Boscombe".

Despite admitting his swim was "less than elegant", Mr Seeff completed the race, held last Sunday (July 19), in the space of 40 minutes.