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If you look out from Cullercoats Bay into the water on most mornings, you will see John Ellis swimming.

For more than 20 years, the 61-year-old retired painter and decorator from Gateshead has been going for a regular dip in the North Sea.

And what makes it all the more impressive is that he does so with his "sea leg", a prosthetic leg he uses for swimming, having lost his left leg just below the knee after a house fire when he was 21.

John started swimming in the sea after the open air pool at Tynemouth closed. He said he prefers it to swimming in indoor baths because it is so "invigorating".

John prepares to take the plunge

All weathers

And there is no question of wearing a wetsuit - John's swimming gear is simply a cap and trunks.

He said: "I come down five days a week winter, summer, all the time. Rain, hail, snow it doesn't matter."

John believes it is the best all round exercise you can do and that it has helped him stave off any illnesses.

Despite his willingness to take to the water in all weathers, he said it does take some getting used to when the temperatures really plummet.

He said: "When the temperature drops it takes a little bit of time to get used to, when it gets down to three and four in the winter.

"When you get the sudden drop you feel it, but after a few weeks you start getting used to it again."

John says he gets a buzz from swimming in the sea

Lighthouse swim

John has also swum in Coniston, Kielder Water and Windermere and he said he starts to get withdrawal symptoms if he goes a couple of days without swimming.

He said: "I just really enjoy it. I have been doing it for years now. I just get a buzz out of it."

On Friday 24 August, John swam the three miles from St Mary's Lighthouse to Cullercoats Bay to raise money for the North Sea Volunteer Lifeguards (NSVL).

The weather was fine for the swim and it took John two-and-a-quarter hours to reach Cullercoats. There were dozens of people on the beach enjoying the sun and they gave him a good reception when he arrived.

Geoff Wade, from NSVL, said the tail end of a swell made conditions slightly more difficult but John coped well.

New boat

It is estimated that he has raised more than £600 and that will go towards the fund to buy a new inshore rescue boat for the team. Over the years he has raised thousands of pounds for NSVL.

NSVL equipment officer Grahame Wood said the boat would be a massive boost. The one they currently use is 15 years old.

The new boat will be used for patrols, rescues and for training.

The fundraising currently stands at around £4,000 and they need to raise about £8,000.