Two friends have completed their swim from Essex to Norfolk, as part of a challenge they set themselves to raise money for charities close to their hearts.

Richard Bland and Nick Roberts, from the Shotley peninsula, took on the swim yesterday, Monday, July 5 but instead of swimming around the coast, they swam the river estuaries starting in Manningtree and finishing up in Lowestoft.

East Anglian Daily Times: The pair got themselves ready to swim the River OrwellThe pair got themselves ready to swim the River Orwell (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

The pair planned to set off from Wrabness in Essex at around 8am to head for the River Stour at Harkstead.

However, due to an outboard engine failure, before the start of the first leg, led to a change of plan as the two had a quick dash by car to Bradfield, where they had to knock on a local resident's door as they had a river frontage and asked if they were able to set off from the bottom of his garden.

East Anglian Daily Times: The two friends have been swimming from Essex to NorfolkThe two friends have been swimming from Essex to Norfolk (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

The two then swam the River Orwell to Nacton and then from the Deben from Waldringfield to Ramsholt, followed by the Alde.

The last stretch of the 10km saw them swim across Oulton Broads where finished at around 9.30pm as the light faded. All in all, the pair swam for around four hours as well as driving between the locations.

The pair even had support from the Royal Harwich Yacht Club as the provided them with a safety boat as they crossed the shipping lanes across the River Stour and Orwell.

East Anglian Daily Times: The pair had support from the Royal Harwich Yatch Club to help the cross the shipping lanes in the Stour and OrwellThe pair had support from the Royal Harwich Yatch Club to help the cross the shipping lanes in the Stour and Orwell (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

Nick Roberts, said: "The longest swim was the 4.5k from Waldringfield to Ramsholt but as the day progressed and the weather closed in, the Alde crossing at Aldeburgh Yacht Club, the fast moving Blyth and finally Oulton Broads, became more challenging.

"Huge thanks to all of our support team, whose day started in the rain before 6am on Monday - finalising preparations, and finished in the rain approaching 11pm last night; without their help the successful completion of this challenge would not have been possible."

They are raising money in sponsorship for Mind, Blood Cancer UK and Beats as family and close friends have experiences linked to these causes.

East Anglian Daily Times: The pair swam the River Orwell as part of the challengeThe pair swam the River Orwell as part of the challenge (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

The pair have set up a fundraising page for the swim where they have already raised just under £3,600 for the causes.