AN early start did not stop a young Dunmow Panthers Cub Pack scout from swimming one mile for charity. Lucy Cook raised �180 and also gained her Silver Chief Scouts Award by taking on the 64 lengths of the local pool. After spending weeks training in the

AN early start did not stop a young Dunmow Panthers Cub Pack scout from swimming one mile for charity.

Lucy Cook raised �180 and also gained her Silver Chief Scouts' Award by taking on the 64 lengths of the local pool.

After spending weeks training in the early hours before school, she clocked up over 500 lengths. Her headteacher even gave permission for her to arrive 15 minutes late if she needed to.

After completing the swim she joked that she could have carried on, before nominating her chosen charities, the MS Society and Breast Cancer Care. She also donated books to Dunmow Primary School.

Scouts spokesman Peter Graves said the youngster had got the sponsorship money together herself.

"All of the hours of training culminated in a swim on an extremely cold Saturday evening at the sports centre," he said. "It has taken a lot of commitment and hard work for her to reach her goal."

Lucy was one of 500 youth members of Essex Scouts receiving awards from Bob Russell, MP for Colchester, and Jan Dear, Essex Scouts county commissioner at Colchester Castle.

At the same event Stephen Quiney, of the Rodings Cub Pack, was awarded part of the silver award for his work on looking at various aspects of life in the Far East.