Injury thwarts Irish Sea swim

INJURY has forced a city dad to abandon his plans to swim the Irish Sea in memory of his daughter.

John Young, 47, and his wife Laura lost eight-year-old Verity to cancer in 2009.

The Edinburgh-based writer had been hoping to smash a 100,000 fundraising target for her charity, the Teapot Trust, to hire play therapists for children's hospitals. He was planning to join a team of celebrities, including Sir Richard Branson, for the 56-mile challenge.

A shoulder injury forced him to pull out of trails, held in Brighton, last week.

John, who has two other daughters, Nina, 11, and Isla, four, has been tirelessly fundraising for charity since Verity died.