Soldiers' swimming challenge

A group of six soldiers have been braving the chilly depths of Shepperton Lake in Middlesex for the past five days, to raise money for their injured comrades.

Night and day, the five men and one woman have powered a total of 250 miles - among them, Trooper Clifford O'Farrell, who nearly lost his legs in a blast in Afghanistan.

Our reporter Sharon Thomas joined the team as they swam into the record books:

Soldiers wounded in the war in Afghanistan have completed their five day swim around Shepperton Lake in Surrey this morning.

They have covered 250 miles to raise money for those injured in battle, with the funds going to the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund.

They were greeted with champagne after they broke the open swimming world record on Thursday.

The swimming challenge was the brainchild of Trooper Clifford O'Farrell, whose legs were badly injured in an explosion in Afghanistan.

Six soldiers are taking part in a marathon 250-mile open water swim in order to raise funds for injured servicemen. They're taking it in turns to swim, round the clock, in a six-day relay at Shepperton Lake in Surrey.

One swimmer, Trooper Clifford O'Farrell, was himself severely injured in Afghanistan and is swimming as part of his rehabilitation.