Philip Elston swam from Gilkicker Point in Gosport to Ryde, Isle of Wight, in just an hour and a half.

In doing so the 50-year-old raised cash for the Countess Mountbatten House in Southampton, which looked after his mum, Valerie, during the advanced stages of cancer.

It is the third time Mr Elston has completed the three-mile swim across the Solent – but the first time he has done it from the mainland to the Isle of Wight.

He was also raising funds for Portsmouth & Southsea Voluntary Lifeguards. He is confident of collecting more than £1,000 to put towards both charities.

Speaking after his dip in the Solent, Mr Elston, of Union Street, Fareham, said: 'Viewing the world from the middle of the Solent makes one realise what a beautiful area it is that we are fortunate to live in.

'The weather was overcast but the sea was quite calm.

'I had a canoeist accompanying me during the swim and there were also Portsmouth Lifeguards support vessels.

'Fortunately we managed to arrive at Ryde Sands at low tide, which helped with the relatively quick crossing.

'There were some quite strong currents mid-Solent and we had to approach the shipping channels with caution.'

After completing his swim, Mr Elston paid tribute to everyone who had sponsored him, including family, friends and work colleagues at the Office For National Statistics in Titchfield.

He also thanked Arthur Peach Builders, Beanies Health Foods of Segensworth, which provided him with vegan energy food and The Shack at Hill Head, which kept him supplied with cups of coffee during practice swimming sessions.

Mr Elston, who completed the swim last Friday, was keen to raise money for the Countess Mountbatten House as a thank you for the way they cared for his mum.

He said: ''I lost my mother to cancer four years ago when she was just 66-years-old and I wanted to do something for her, in her memory.'

david.hurley

@thenews.co.uk