Swimmers in Oxfordshire have raised more than £16,000 for cancer charities.

The money was raised during the BT Swimathon in March - Europe's largest swimming event - by participants at the Westminster Leisure centre in Harcourt Hill, Oxford, the Spiceball Park sports centre in Banbury and the Old Gaol Fitness and Leisure Centre in Abingdon's Bridge Street.

The Oxford pool raised £4,450.35, Banbury £7,664.91 and Abingdon £4,437.02.

Proceeds will be split between a number of causes, including Macmillan Cancer Relief, the Prostrate Cancer Charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and the BT Disabled Swimming Programme.

Murray Lindo, head of Macmillan Cancer Relief's youth development and education department, said: "On behalf of Macmillan I would like to extend a massive thank-you to everyone who took part in this great event.

"The money raised will go a long way to helping educate people about the disease in its many forms and dispel some of the myths surrounding the illness."