Hundreds of hardy swimmers braved the teeth-chattering temperatures of the North Sea as they took part in fundraising festive swims across Suffolk. The Christmas Day dippers, including some in fancy dress outfits,

Turkeys, knights of old and even an oven were just some of the festive fancy dress choices by those taking part in outdoor swims on Christmas Day. Plucky bathers took to the sea off Dorset, Devon and Norfolk as well as the Serpentine lake for the traditional Peter Pan Cup race in London's Hyde Park.

A woman has braved the winter sea and raised more than £2,000 for a homelessness charity by completing an Advent swimming challenge. Pam Spychal, 70, set out to complete a swim at Great Yarmouth's north beach every day until 24 December this month, for a minimum of two minutes.

People gathered on Christmas morning on the Brighton seafront for the longstanding tradition, which was first started by Brighton Swimming Club in 1860

Throngs of brave souls took to the waters across Ireland for charity Christmas swims, with Dubliners facing the chilly embrace of the sea at Clontarf. The mild morning was graced by a stunning sunrise,

A swimmer has been rescued by lifeboat after getting into difficulty in the North Sea off Macduff in Aberdeenshire. The town's RNLI rescue boat, a coastguard helicopter and coastguard teams from Fraserburgh, Portsoy, Macduff and Buckie were all sent to the scene at about 09:45. The swimmer was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Brave outdoor swimmers wore Father Christmas hats as they kicked off their celebrations with a festive dip. Sea surface temperatures across the country were between 8C and 11C, the Met Office said. But plucky bathers,

Christmas Day Harbour Swim saw hundreds of people brave a cold-water plunge in aid of charity. Spectators lined the harbour to watch the brave swimmers take the plunge and enjoy the festive atmosphere.