A WOMAN from a North Yorkshire town is aiming to be the first to complete the gruelling task of swimming the length of the UK.

Jasmine Harrison, a swimming teacher from Thirsk, is taking on the 900-mile challenge of swimming from Land’s End to John O’Groats - which would make her the first woman to complete the daunting feat.

Jasmine did some practice swims around the lake at Carlton Lodge in the town leading up to her adventure. Bex Plant, activities manager at Carlton Lodge Activity Centre, joined Jasmine and the support boat skipper and crew in Holyhead. Bex is kayaking alongside Jasmine to guide her, supply food and drink and offer moral support.

Jasmine, 23, said: "Only two people have ever done this and both were men so I would be the first female to swim Land’s End to John O’Groats. It’s this way around and not any other because of the wind moving clockwise round the UK and it would almost be impossible to do it another way round.

"It consists of swimming 12 hours a day, six hours on, six hours off to work with the tide and not against it. I will have a support boat alongside, kayaker and crew.

"I have always been a swimmer and not a rower so to me this is more possible than the Atlantic row, although more challenging in many different ways.”

Meanwhile, head of centre at Carlton Lodge, George Plant, said the team were "delighted" to have been able to help Jasmine both in her preparations for the challenge with her training - and for Bex to be helping her on the route.