SWIMMERS braved the waters off Burnham to take part in the annual Stert Island swim, which this year was held in memory of local cancer victim Martin Lee.

The event, which took place on Sunday (August 9), saw over 77 swimmers take part, with Martin’s father taking part in memory of his son.

Martin was a regular swimmer and and died earlier this year aged 38 after a battle with cancer.

The shield was presented to Helen McCulloch, Martin’s fiancee, by mayor of Burnham Michael Clarke and organisers Celia Miall and Martin Rogers from West Country Triathletes.

The event, which was watched by crowds gathered on the Burnham seafront, saw swimmer Michal Kotlewski finish in first place with a time of 24 minutes and 14 seconds

Michal, a lifeguard from Bristol, said: "I'm delighted to have won - I've trained specially for this event over several months. They were great conditions for the swim."

Celia Miall, one of the event’s organisers, said: "It was a very successful event - we had a good turnout of spectators and swimmers and good swimming conditions. Thanks goes to everyone for their help."