A FATHER-OF-TWO attempting to swim the English Channel for a cancer charity had to abandon the challenge several hours in due to difficult conditions.

Gardener Piers Lewis, of Cassington, embarked on the 22-mile swim from Dover to Calais at about midnight on Monday, but made the decision to stop the attempt at 4.30am on Tuesday.

His abandoned challenge comes shortly after Nick Thomas, 45, of Shropshire, died while attempting the feat on Saturday, August 27.

Mr Lewis, who had trained for the swim for two years, said he was unfazed when he found he would have to cross the Channel through the night, but that the poor conditions eventually got the better of him.

He said: “The problem I had was disorientation – getting thrown up and down by the swell and trying to get perspective of where the boat was.

“I would look down into the deep, dark sea and then back up at the lit-up boat, then down at the sea and back at the boat. It made me go a bit giddy.

“If I could have survived until the sunrise I’m sure I could have got across.”

Previous attempts earlier in the year were also thwarted due to poor weather and traffic issues in Kent.

The 46-year-old also talked about the dangers presented by swimming the Channel in the wake of Nick Thomas's death.

He said: “It’s Mother Nature and it’s hard. I’ve known people to have strokes in the sea.

“When you swim that sort of distance your body plays tricks on you. With things like hypothermia you can think you’re totally fine, then all of a sudden you go straight down.

“Nobody knows how their body is going to react. It’s something to be aware of.”

Mr Lewis has not ruled out taking on the challenge again, but for now intends to donate the funds raised – nearly £23,000 – to the Teenage Cancer Trust and spend some time with his family.

He lives with his wife Suzi and boys Oliver, seven, and Harry, five, in Cassington.