A PAIR of determined checkout assistants from Tesco Metro in Cirencester have swam 1,344 lengths of their local pool – the equivalent of swimming the English Channel.

Caroline Love and Claire Phillips swam the distance at the Cotswold Leisure Centre over a period of four weeks to raise money for Diabetes UK.

The two women would visit the pool around four or five times a week and aim to swim one mile, around 64 lenghts.

Caroline told the Standard: “Swimming is something I love and I thought that this is a challenge that no one had done before.

“I’m one of these people who love a challenge. It spurred me on to keep going even when I was tired.”

The pair are hoping to raise £500 for the diabetes charity and, so far, have collected £300 through sponsors and collections from generous Tesco customers.

Diabetes UK is currently Tesco’s Charity of the Year and colleagues from all over the country have been raising money for it.

Caroline also added: “If I was a bit younger I’d like to have swam the Channel but I don’t think I’d be able to swim the 21 miles in one go now.”

People can support the ladies by visiting the Tesco Metro store in Cirencester and leaving a donation in one of the collection buckets.