Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew (pictured) is urging Isle of Wight parents stuck for ideas for Christmas presents to spend their money on teaching their children to swim.

Duncan is a keen supporter of the Southern Water Learn to Swim scheme, which runs on the Isle of Wight.

He said while drowning is still a major cause of accidental death the cost of swimming lessons is no more than the price of a good toy and a small sum compared with the price of most holidays.

The swimmer, who shot to fame at the Moscow Olympics, said:

“Parents spend a lot of money taking children abroad to beach resorts and water parks where supervision is often lacking.

Swimming lessons  help children learn new skills, gain confidence and give them a better chance in an emergency situation. Learning to swim is a gift for life in more ways than one.”

Recent drowning incidents both at home and abroad highlight the importance of children having the necessary skills to be safe in water.

“No child in this country is more than a few miles from the dangers of water whether it is a garden pond, river, lake or the sea.

Teaching your child to swim or enrolling them on courses like the Southern Water Learn to Swim scheme is a must.  Learning to swim  is a skill that is never forgotten and one that could save your child’s life.”

The Southern Water scheme is one of the longest and most successful sport sponsorships in the UK.

Under the scheme the pools receive the latest teaching equipment, and staff swimwear Children joining the scheme receive a swimming bag to celebrate starting their lessons and certificates and letters of congratulations as they progress.