POLICE officers took the plunge swimming across the English Channel raising more than £3,400 for The Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Rick Basiurski, Ollie Power, Paul Frith, Simon Coates, Nick Lees and retired PC John Power set off from Dover across the 21 mile stretch of water and reached the French coast near Calais in 13 hours, 58 minutes doing one hour relay swims.

All team members took part in tough training before the challenge at the end of September including open water swims at Salford Quays and sea swims in Colwyn Bay, North Wales.

PC Power said: "It was a great team effort and although we were all exhausted physically and mentally afterwards it was very rewarding."