A schoolboy from Congleton is celebrating after successfully swimming across the English Channel.

Ben Oliver, 12, and his teammates from Beech Hall School completed the feat in a time of 13 hours and 16 minutes.

In doing so, they have raised thousands of pounds for Mencap, a charity that supports people with learning disabilities.

Ben's dad, Dan Oliver, said: "We are incredibly proud of Ben and the whole team!

"They have trained very hard, swimming in water less than 10 degrees through the winter months to acclimatise.

"It has been a real test of strength and character, raising money for Mencap, an amazing charity that supports people with learning disabilities."

Diagnosed with autism and ADHD, Ben says that swimming helped him to make friends.

"From a young age, sport, and particularly swimming, has been my passion," Ben added.

"When I joined my new school and found out they had a Channel swim relay squad, my mind was made up and my goal was set!"

In the two years since then, Ben has spent hours training every week, both at school and with his swim club, the Crewe Flyers.

On Sunday, September 6, Ben and his teammates from the Mencap Marvels Beech Hall School Juniors Relay team successfully completed their cross-Channel swim.

The team's lineup is completed by Ahmad Ally, Georgia Zerafa-Allan, Noah Renshaw, Ruby Tkaczyk and William Robinson.

All aged just 12 or 13, they make up Beech Hall School's youngest-ever English Channel relay team.

Furthermore, Ruby, also from Congleton, became the school's youngest-ever six-hour swimmer earlier this year when she completed an open-water endurance challenge in Dover Harbour.

James Allen, headmaster at Beech Hall School, said: "The remarkable thing about our swimmers is that they're not elite athletes - they're young people who have achieved extraordinary things through resilience, courage and an incredible work ethic."

"Watching them discover what they're capable of is truly inspiring. The confidence and resilience they gain doesn't just change how they swim, it has a hugely positive impact on learning in the classroom too, and that's what is so magical about it. We are immensely proud of every single one of them."

You can find out more about Ben's journey and donate to his JustGiving page here.