A GROUP of swimmers from the Sleaford area is planning to form a relay team to swim across the English Channel to raise money for charity.

But to make this possible, the team needs one more swimmer to make up a group of six before they can take part.

The team so far includes Sleaford Girls High School's Kathryn Eccles and Katie Treadwell, St George's James Harrison and Zak Smith and RAF Cranwell ASA swimming coach Sue La Roche.

The team plans to swim the channel during the beginning of July but would ideally like a swimmer to join them in training as soon as possible.

This is the third annual charity swim and the team is hoping to raise more than last year's £5,000 for the Jane Tomlinson Appeal for children's and cancer charities.

A spokesman said: "Anyone who is a reasonably strong swimmer and is over the age of 12 can take part. The team is sharing the cost of the pilot boat and skipper."

We have secured the services of Alison Streeter 'Queen of the English Channel' as our pilot. She has swum the Channel (solo) a record-breaking 43 times.

"We have a soloist and four relay swimmers co-ordinating the attempt, two ASA coaches directly overseeing training with two more assisting and the specialist services of "Activities Away" in Lincoln, a provider of high-level training to youngsters overseeing the whole venture."

Last year's swimmers were lucky enough to meet Kevin Murphy who has swum the Channel 34 times.

Anyone who is interested can contact Robert Hodgson on 07977 415767 or Hannah Whitney on 07814 354146 at any time.

Jane was diagnosed with incurable, advanced metastatic breast cancer in August 2000.

The disease spread was extensive and the prognosis was for her to survive six months.

Over a seven year period, Jane fought through numerous courses of chemotherapy and various drug regimes despite also developing chronic heart disease.

During this period Jane, a mother of three from Leeds, took on a series of apparently impossible challenges, for someone suffering from cancer and undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

These included a full Ironman challenge (4km Swim, 180km bike ride and full marathon – completed inside 17 hours), two half Ironman challenge, the London Marathon three times, the New York Marathon, three London Triathlons and three long distance bike rides – John O'Groats to Land's End, Rome to Home and her final huge challenge a 6781.8 km ride across America.