HARDY swimmers will be spare excess goose fat to good use on Christmas Day.

More than 100 people look set to take the plunge into the North Sea tomorrow as part of Clacton’s annual tradition.

Some of the brave souls have not missed the festive splash in the 50-plus years it has been running.

However, it will be a new experience for Ashley Bracegirdle. The nine-year-old will be one of the youngest people taking part in the Christmas Day dip, raising money for children’s charity NSPCC.

Proud mum Manda Bracegirdle, of Valley Road, Clacton, said: “He knows people who do it and he wanted to have a go.

“We said it’s a bit cold but he was determined and wanted to raise some money for charity.”

Emma Parr is one of 12 pals taking a dip to raise money for Leala Milleare who is battling cancer.

Leala, 29, of Arnold Road, Clacton, is set to undergo alternative therapy in Germany after chemotherapy failed, and her friends are raising money to pay for the treatment.

You can sponsor Miss Parr’s via her Facebook site at http://tinyurl.com/emmaparr.

The Christmas Day swim is on the beach below Nelson Road starting at 10am.