Verity Green, 40, from Catterick Garrison UK, has become the first British Deaf woman to complete the English Channel swim solo.

Her swim began around 05:30 this morning 2nd August and finished on the coast of France 12 hours and nine minutes later.

Due to poor phone signals, all her supporters had to wait a while to get final news when she said ‘Conditions were tough! So relieved to have finished and THANK YOU SO MUCH for the amazing fundraising! It really helped me in my swim!!’

Well-wishers and supporters have raised well over her target of £4,000 for her chosen charity Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

As a former swimmer representing Great Britain in Deaf competitions and achieving 3rd world ranking for her event she was told as a teenager that she would never be able to swim again after being diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease. Verity had to learn the basic of swimming after the disease had severely affected her balance and vision.

‘Thanks to my hearing dog Bow , my disability has become visible’

Her fundraising website is still open and accepting donations.

Verity’s swim comes 5 years and 16 days after Andrew Rees became the first Deaf man to complete the same feat. If records are correct and they will be verified later it would appear that Varity managed a faster swim being around 3 hours quicker than Rees.