Pier-to-pier swim cancelled due to safety concerns

A charity swimming event has been cancelled due to concerns over safety.

The Bournemouth Pier-to-Pier Swim was set to take place on Saturday but the British Heart Foundation, who organise the event, said it made the difficult decision to cancel after consulting with water safety experts.

Sarah Choudhry from the charity said forecasted wind and weather conditions "would make for a challenging and unsafe swim".

She added that all registered participants will have their entry automatically transferred to next year's event, on the 27 June 2026.

Participants will also receive guidance on how to either refund or transfer any funds already raised ahead of the 2025 event.

The annual 1.4 miles swim between Boscombe and Bournemouth piers in one of Europe's biggest charity open water swimming events.

More than 1,000 people took part in last year's swim raising £270,000.

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