A team of daring swimmers will take a treacherous route via the Goodwin Sands.

They will go through an area notorious for strong tides, currents, and wrecks of more than 2,000 ships.

The aim of The Big Swim is to raise awareness of the area's recent designation as a Marine Conservation Zone.

It is also to introduce a bid for its listing as a World Heritage site.

The group, who train all year at Kingsdown beach, chose this route as it has never been attempted before and none of them have visited the Goodwins.

The relay swim is on Sunday, September 1, from 5.30am from Ramsgate Harbour to Deal Pier, arriving around midday.

Patrick Papougnot, from the group, said: "We we wanted to set ourselves a challenge.

" The sea is ever changing and the strength of the tides makes it especially tricky but with good advice, appropriate training and an efficient escort boat we should be able to make it."

Deal tidal expert William Thomson, author of The Book of Tides, had plotted the route.

By taking advantage of the south streaming current towards the Goodwins on the outward leg of the swim, the 8 nautical mile (15km) swim should take about 6-7 hours. The swimmers will arrive on the sandbanks at low tide and spend an hour there before carrying on to Deal Pier.

The venture will follow the Channel Swimmers Association Rules, which state that participants may only wear trunks and a cap.

It is hoped that six swimmers will take part and they will be supported by a pilot boat.

The newly created Goodwin Sands Conservation Trust is supporting the event.

Trustee Fiona Punter said “We are absolutely delighted and excited at the way local community swimmers have got together to raise awareness of the Goodwin Sands’ recent designation as a Marine Conservation Zone.

"We wish them the very best of luck as well as kind weather conditions for this challenging swim. We hope lots of people will congregate at the Pier to welcome them.”

The shifting sands were given extra environmental protection by being designated as a MCZ by the government on May 31 this year.

The sands otherwise continue to the the subject of a long battle by the the pressure ground Goodwin Sands SOS (Save Our Sands) to stop it being dredge.

The Port of Dover wants to use some of the aggregate for its Dover Western Docks Revival development.

The government's Marine Management Organisation granted a licence for this last July.

That was challenged in a High Court judicial review on June 5, brought by GSSOS.

The verdict on that hearing is still due.

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