More than 160 swimmers have already signed up to plunge into the sea in Lowestoft on Christmas Day.

And there's still time for you to register, with organisers hoping for more swimmers and spectators than ever in celebration of the fundraiser's 40th year.

The swim is a spectacle that is well-loved locally, with crowds lining the promenade and beach to cheer on the swimmers as they brave the cold, many running into the sea in fancy dress costumes.

The swim is organised and supported by Sentinel Leisure Trust, HM Coastguard, The Lowestoft Volunteer Lifeguard Corps, The Lowestoft Lions, St John Ambulance, The Claremont Pier and RNLI.

Since Sentinel took over the organisation of the event, £29,000 has been raised for local beneficiaries.

Stuart Everett, managing director of Sentinel Leisure Trust, said: 'Since the 2015 swim, we have set ourselves a massive target of £10,000 per year. This year being the swims 40th anniversary we are encouraging swimmers and spectators to donate generously to ensure we smash our target.'

Matt Stebbings, community sport and leisure development manager at Sentinel, added: 'Each year we raise the bar on our target and this year should not be any different. The swim started with a few friends jumping in the sea on Christmas Day and 40 years later it has become a popular event and tradition for many people, including myself each year.'

This year's beneficiaries are: Ollie's Heroes, Brainwave Independence Group, Taylor High Memorial Fund, Local Children's Home, Topcats, Lowestoft and Oulton Broad Swimming Club, Brian Gallagher Football Fund, Lowestoft Lions, Lowestoft Lifeguard Volunteer Corp and the local branch of the St John Ambulance.

This year registration will take place at The Claremont Pier from 9.15am with the swim starting at 10am.

The organisers would like to thank the pier team for stepping in to host the event, as without them it would not have been able to go ahead. Scott's restaurant on the pier will also be open while the swim takes place and for a brief period after.

To sign up and start your fundraising, visit www.sltrust.co.uk/xmasdayswim

How to sign up

Applications are still open for swimmers to sign up, with a minimum donation of £5 per person to ensure registration is complete.

All money will go to the charities listed and organisers are also encouraging all swimmers and those supporting the event to use the online donation page for the swim.

This can be found at www.sltrust.co.uk/donate. When submitting a donation, people are asked to reference 'Xmas Day Swim' and the 'swimmer name' where possible.

Anyone having problems signing up online can call the Sentinel team at Waterlane Leisure Centre for help or you can do it on the day through a paper form with your £5 registration fee.

Donations can also be made on the day, however organisers are asking as many people as possible to donate online.

A band system for swimmers will be operating this year, and anyone not registered and without a band will not be able to take part.