A SWIMMING coach swapped her whistle for the water to raise money for a cancer charity.

Jeanette Payne, 45, of Westminster Drive, Hockley, joined three colleagues from Stokes Swim School to tackle the 5,000-metre swimathon.

The fundraiser was inspired to raise the cash after losing her mum, Eileen Bright, to cancer, at the age of 76.

Mrs Payne said: "This was my way of thanking the Macmillan nurses who really cared for my mum and my family. We have raised about £600 for Marie Curie, who sponsor Macmillan nurses.

Mrs Payne swam 60 lengths of Gloucester Park Swimming Pool, in Basildon, while her teaching partners Joanne Miller, 38, Joni Hales, 21, and Abigail Bradford, 18, tackled the remaining 90 between them to complete the distance.

The women swam both individually and together to finish the challenge in about an hour.