Climate change swimmer to paddle to North Pole in kayak

City lawyer and daredevil swimmer Lewis Gordon Pugh announced his latest challenge today - to become the first person to paddle to the North Pole in a kayak.

The environmental campaigner - who is the only man to have completed a long-distance swim in every ocean, and who last year swam at the geographic North Pole - wants to raise awareness of global warming.

Mr Pugh's 1,200km journey is due to begin from the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen on 29 August. The lawyer, 37, of Russell Square said: "We have lost more than half the Arctic summer sea ice cover decades ahead of predictions, showing climate change has been hugely underestimated. We must insist our leaders take urgent action. Although sea ice is melting fast, I sincerely hope there is more than predicted and it is impossible for me to kayak all the way."