Thousands of people lined both sides of the harbour at Weymouth in Dorset to watch the annual Christmas day swim take place.

This cross harbour swim was started in 1948 76 years ago when two pub landlords challenged each other since then it is a fixture in the tow’s calendar.

Over 500 swimmers took part as a series of races of around 50 swimmers at the time.

Swimmers came from all over the UK to take part with entrants many dressed in festive costumes.
 
Organised by the local Lions Club.

“They seem to keep coming each year, we are never sure how many will turn up on the day, but it's now very much annually and into the hundreds. We know that some swimmers will travel long distance to take part. It’s a great fund raiser for our charities”,  said the club President Ryan Hope.

The two hundred-metre swim across the widest part of the harbour goes back to just after World War II when the first swim took place.
 
As well as very serious swimmers many take part dressed in fancy dress and this year saw a giant lobster, sharks, turkeys and dozens of Santa’s splashed their way to the finishing ramp.

Even local boat owners are on hand to ferry the swimmer’s bagged up clothes from one side of the harbour to the other and a local group of canoe lifeguards escort the swimmers during the race just in case anyone should get into trouble on the swim.
 
This harbour swim race attracted thousands of spectators too who lined the harbourside.