A teenage boy has battled spinal problems to swim the distance of the English Channel in two days at a city swimming pool - raising hundreds of pounds for charity.

Spinal charity Aspires challenged swimmers all over the country to complete 22 miles in one month, but 15-year-old Jamie McArthur, of Middle Way, Summertown, Oxford, decided to push himself even further by swimming the distance in just 48 hours.

Jamie finished the challenge at Barton Pool, at 8pm on Friday, having swum 1,408 lengths.

He took up swimming at the age of five after an infection of spinal discs left him with difficulty playing sports that involve running.

Speaking just minutes after finishing his challenge, Jamie said: "I found it really tiring and I am very dehydrated - which is strange as I have been in water for most of the past two days.

"I couldn't have done it without all the support from my mum and my friends who counted the lengths. I saw the poster about Aspire at the pool and thought that was something I would really like to do.

"I would like to raise more money for the charity at some other point, but I just need to rest now."

During the challenge, Jamie had a lane of his own at the pool and took regular breaks to pace himself.

He swam his last length using his favourite stroke, butterfly.

Jamie's mother, Mary Hutchings, said: "He's had his ups and downs over the two days, but he really got his teeth into it at the end.

"We're weren't sure he was going to make it, but he's very determined.

"I wish we'd asked even more people to sponsor him now."

A spokesman for Aspire said: "Not only do the swimmers reach their goal of swimming the 22 miles of the English Channel, but they also raise urgently need funding for people with spinal cord injuries."

Jamie is a year 10 pupil at Cherwell School and expects to have raised about £300 for the charity.