Kent foster mum Jackie Cobell has set a new world record by swimming the Channel in the longest time ever!

Jackie, 56, from Five Oak Green near Tonbridge, was making her Channel swim attempt to raise money for Huntington’s Disease Association.

She set off on Saturday morning, July 24, and supporters were glued to the internet to watch her progress.

While very few swimmers actually manage to go in anything like a straight line because of the tides and currents, Jackie started off going down the Channel, and then weaved up and down several times, across the busy shipping lanes, eventually landing just to the north of Calais.

Her time was 28 hours 44 minutes. The previous record, set in 1923, was by American Henry Sullivan in 26 hours 50 minutes.

Five years ago Jackie weighed 20 stone and was suffering from high blood pressure. She decided to lose eight stone, which she has done, and swim the Channel, which she has also now achieved.

Among the first to congratulate Jackie was Freda Streeter, known as The General, (pictured with her above) who spends her weekends on Dover beach helping swimmers with their training for Channel swim attempts.

There were congratulations, too, for Australian marathon swimmer Chloe McCardel, 25, (right)who completed a two-way swim in 21 hours 48 minutes - seven hours faster than it took Jackie to swim one way!

More details of Chloe's achievements can be found on her website www.chloemccardel.com.