SWIMMERS of all ages dressed up as pirates, Peppa Pig characters and superheroes to help support a biennial fundraiser.

Water Babies’s Splashathon has helped to raise £34,867.56 for the charity Tommy’s, with more than 1,300 babies and toddlers taking the plunge.

The charity funds research into miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth and has helped develop the fetal fibronectin test which is a test used at maternity wards across the UK including Newport’s Royal Gwent Hospital in events of possible premature labour.

Paul Thompson, Water Babies’s co-founder, said: “It was so great to see so many little ones who attend our Water Babies classes come together to raise so much money for such a wonderful cause.

“As one in four pregnancies end in either miscarriage or stillbirth, Tommy’s charity was very close to the hearts of many who attended which I really think helped to drive donations.”

For details on the charity, visit tommys.org, and for Water Babies, visit www.waterbabies.co.uk.