A WINTER swim may have been cancelled but that did not stop a village from raising more than £800 for charity.

The traditional New Year's Day Allonby Dook was cancelled, literally at the 11hen Maryport Inshore Rescue advised that they had risk assessed the conditions and were concerned about the health and safety of swimmers in light of the high winds and choppy sea.

Maryport Inshore Rescue station officer Mike Messenger said the waves were up to one metre.

"People would have really got bashed around. We felt it was not safe for anyone to go into the water."

Villager Guy Browes, who took these photos, said: "Our stalwart volunteers still provided soup and hot chocolate for people deprived of their dip in the cold Solway and those that had turned up to support the Dookers."

For organiser Sue Anderson, disappointment was replaced with delight at the support given to inshore rescue: "The marvellous Inshore Rescue lads and lasses arrived to meet people and explain what was happening.

" I was overwhelmed, especially when I counted up the money people had still been willing to donate.

" The amazing people who donated online and put money in buckets for an event that didn’t take place gave over £820 pounds. I cannot thank everyone enough."

Mr Messenger said inshore rescue had also been delighted by the money raised - even though the swim was cancelled.

"It was just brilliant."