Rough waters, sea sickness and busy shipping lanes didn’t put a 64-year-old grandmother off her mission to swim the English Channel in aid of charity.

Despite a fear of jellyfish Pam Bessell still took to the waters when she and her team of five friends set off from Samphire Ho beach in Dover during the early hours of Friday morning.

But Pam’s worse fear turned into a reality when during the swim she was stung on the ear by a jellyfish.

Pam of Kitchener Road, Hoo, said: “I didn’t even know I had been stung until I got out of the water. My ear was slightly swollen and I had red marks down my face. I had seen the jellyfish underneath me as I was swimming but as I didn’t feel anything I thought it had missed me.”

Pam and her friends took it in turns to swim the channel by doing an hour each in turns.

It took 15 hours and 31 minutes but they finally reached France at 6.31pm.

The swim has raised about £1,000 for the Breast Cancer Campaign.

Pam said: “It was a good swim but at times we faced waves of up to eight feet from passing ships. Our little boat was constantly rocking and almost tipped over quite a few times. Most of us were seasick as we rested on the boat.

“I’m pleased I did it but never again. I’ll carry on with my fund-raising efforts but I think I’ll look for something a little more sedate next time.”