It was a hardy bunch of dedicated dippers who braved sub-zero temperatures to take part in a fundraising Christmas day swim.

The annual Mike Moyle Memorial Christmas Day swim at Crooklets beach in Bude saw about 500 swimmers dive into the waters, which would have been considerably icier than the -5C air temperature.

The event, the largest non wetsuit swim in the South West, also tempted around 1,500 people to wrap up warm and watch.

It was one of many opportunities staged across the South West to get Christmas Day off to a bracing start with a swim in the sea. Events were staged at Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Trevaunance Cove, near St Agnes, Charlestown and Coverack, the latter of which has raised more than £50,000 for charity since it began nine years ago.

At Exmouth beach, more than 400 people of all ages, took the plunge, many of whom donned fancy dress costumes for the occasion.

The Christmas swim has become a tradition dating back more than four decades.

But with an outside temperature of -8C, it was the first year in memory that the sand had a covering of snow.

Barrister Joe Farquharson, 45, from Exeter, said: "This is the fourth time I have done the Exmouth swim and the water was absolutely lovely.

"It felt very unnatural having the cold snow under your feet as you ran into the sea, but it is a fantastic way to start Christmas day."

Royal Marine officer Alan Litster, 41, of Exmouth, had at least been trained to deal with such cold temperatures.

"The water was bracing," he said. "It felt incredibly unnatural getting undressed on snow and then running into the sea.

"However, I trained as a marine in Norway so I am used to running and swimming in cold temperatures. I try to do the swim every year, this is the sixth time I have done it.

"Not only is it great fun, but it is a great cure for the hangover."