Turkeys, knights of old and even an oven were just some of the festive fancy dress choices by those taking part in outdoor swims on Christmas Day.

Plucky bathers took to the sea off Dorset, Devon and Norfolk as well as the Serpentine lake for the traditional Peter Pan Cup race in London’s Hyde Park.

Sea surface temperatures across the country were between 8C and 11C, the Met Office said.

The race in the capital is believed to be the world’s oldest continuously contested swimming competition, having been run since 1864.

It has been associated with the author JM Barrie since 1903, when he donated the Peter Pan Cup.

Luke Belfield, who is training to become the first person with arthritis to swim the English Channel, said: “It’s a community, there’s still people in there, they’re so friendly, so vibrant, so lovely.

“It was actually quite mild, but I am starting to shiver a little bit.”

Katy Irving, who was taking part for the third time, said dealing with the cold got easier the more times you did it.

“Your body gets used to it,” she added.