A DIVER from Little Dunmow is taking part in a world record attempt to raise money for a men s cancer charity. Warren Brown, 36, is one of a team of seven divers from across the country who hope to become the first people ever to relay across the English

A DIVER from Little Dunmow is taking part in a world record attempt to raise money for a men's cancer charity.

Warren Brown, 36, is one of a team of seven divers from across the country who hope to become the first people ever to relay across the English Channel using scuba equipment.

The relay, which is scheduled to take part on August 4 depending on weather conditions, aims to raise around £50,000 for Orchid, a men's cancer charity.

Mr Brown, who lives in the Oakwood Park estate with his wife Kelly and their two children, has been training for the event.

He said: "The seven of us are going to set off from Dover and take it in turns to do 45-minute stints.

"Although the distance from Dover to our destination, Cap Gris Nez, is just 22 miles in a straight line, the fact that we have to swim across the current means that we will actually cover more like 30 miles."

The daring underwater journey has never been attempted before and the logistics involved have proved to be a challenge.

Mr Brown said: "The journey will probably take between 12 and 16 hours, but it could be almost twice that.

"We've got a team of army engineers backing us up with a landing craft and there are a lot of people involved to make it work.

"With seven divers going we should be able to complete the task. Even if five of us have to pull out because of cramps or seasickness, then the remaining two will try their utmost to finish the journey."

The divers will swim at a depth of between six and 10 metres and the challenge has been dubbed "10,000mm Under the Sea".

In preparation for the event, the divers have been practicing at the armed forces' diving centre in Horsea Island, Portsmouth, where they have been swimming 1,200m lengths of the navy's old torpedo testing range.

The divers originally planned to dive across the channel last September but were forced to cancel the mission because of adverse weather conditions.

Mr Brown said: "The biggest challenge facing us is going to be the possible weather conditions.

"If the weather's good, it's very doable. If the weather's bad, it will be impossible."

Mr Brown teaches diving at the Dunmow Leisure Centre and is the managing director of UK Dive.

For more information on the challenge facing him, check out the website www.orchid-cancer.org.uk