Limbless Frenchman attempts to swim the Channel

Philippe Croizon, 42, set off from Folkestone, Kent, at around 6am yesterday and hoped to complete the challenge within 24 hours.

He was forced to have his arms and legs amputated after he suffered an electric shock while removing a television aerial from a roof 16 years ago. He only taught himself to swim in the last two years and does so using prosthetic legs and a snorkel and mask.

His spokeswoman said he was making good progress in favourable conditions. "It's going well. He has done about 12 miles now in eight hours," she said.

"He is swimming very fast, so he may do it faster than expected, but we just don't know as the wind could get stronger or he could get tired."

Three dolphins were swimming alongside him for a time yesterday.

The 21-mile swim was expected to see Croizon arrive somewhere between Boulogne and Calais in France.