A man who was attempting to swim from the north west of England to the Isle of Man had to abandon his world record attempt last week.

Adam Diver, 45, was determined to take on the 32-mile challenge, planning to swim from St Bees in Copeland, Cumbria, to Port Mooar.

Upon completion, he would have been the first to successfully finish such a feat – a relay team attempted it years ago but also failed.

He set off on Friday morning but had to call off the journey just four hours and seven miles in, with winds picking up considerably and creating unsafe conditions in the water.

The former army captain said on social media: ‘I’m gutted and devastated, with the understanding I have been lucky to have been given this opportunity.

‘The British weather turned on us!

‘I was hitting all my times and feeling great. I had zero issues and had it in my head I had this, then the winds picked up. The weather was pushing the boat, kayakers and myself off course.

‘The boat had trouble spotting me and the kayakers had trouble staying with me. With the high waves, my team were fighting not to hit me with their kayaks or drift away. These swells also affected my vision and head, which impacted on my swimming.

‘The correct call was made to park this attempt with a collective decision on safety. This is not a failure, we will sail again – the Isle of Man isn’t moving and neither are the team.’