DETERMINED divers took part in a gruelling mile-high feat, raising £400 for new dry training equipment for their club.

Fourteen youngsters from Bury Dragons Diving Club dived for one and a half hours non-stop to raise funds for a trampette.

Participants used all three diving boards at Castle Leisure Centre to plunge a total distance of 1,650 metres, each performing more than 100 dives.

Anthony Hilton-Casey, Bury Dragons assistant coach, said: “Usually our divers may only do 20 dives in a typical club session of one hour, so this was a massive endurance achievement.

“A few of the divers even asked if they could dive a mile every week, so I guess they enjoyed it!”

Bury Dragons have feared for their future in the borough since plans to demolish the pool were approved by Bury Council last September.

The council proposes to replace Castle Leisure Centre with a supermarket and use the money from the sale of the site to build a new pool in Knowsley Place, which will not include diving facilities.

If a buyer for the site is found and Bury Dragons cannot prove there is a future for diving in Bury, they will be forced to undertake more dry training and make limited use of Manchester Aquatics Centre.

The club is organising a showcase event this October to highlight the loss of the deep water facilities, illustrate the diving talent Bury has nurtured, and make a case for keeping the club in the town.