Naked bathers set new world record

400 skinny dippers stripped off naked and plunged into the sea at Rhissili Beach in Wales to set a new nude world record.

They braved the cold, tore off their clothes and ran into the water shrieking and whooping with delight – but their cries of joy were shortly replaced by ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ because of the icy sea temperature.

The existing record is believed to stand at 250 naked bathers in one location, and organisers plan to submit the event to adjudicators at Guinness World Records in an attempt to claim the title.

Skinny dipper Lizzy White, 25, said: ‘I have flown in from Australia to take part – what was I thinking of?

‘But it was great fun and very exhilarating to strip off and dive into the waves, even if they are a lot colder than what I’m used to.’

Shivering Steve Absalom, 29, said: ‘I’m quite shy and I have never swum naked before so to do it in front of 400 people was a bit of an eye-opener. But there was no embarrassment – it was just great fun.’

Organisers hope the sponsored event, which was organised to raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity and the National Trust, will bring in more than £5,000.

Organiser Alison Powell said: ‘It was great fun – I have never seen so many happy smiling faces. We hoped for 300 people but in the end we got a lot more – I’m delighted with the turn out.’

Many of the nudists posed to have their photographs taken in the shallows to prove to their sponsors that they took part in the event.

Naked Sue Jones, 39, of Carmarthen, said: ‘I’m putting my picture on Facebook for all to see. I’ve skinny dipped before in Greece and Spain.

‘This was the first time in Wales … and the last!’

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