Well known local actor Joshua Richards, who plays Bear Wolf in Emmerdale, will be starting the 52nd annual Tenby Boxing Day Swim with the ceremonial 'dropping of the rope' to start the dash to the sea of an expected one thousand swimmers.

Joshua was born in Tenby and educated a the Greenhill School, before he embarked on a professional career in acting at the Welsh College of Music and Drama.

Swimmers will enter the sea on North Beach at 11.30am, on Friday, December 26.

In addition to coming to support the swim, shake a collecting bucket and pose for a selfie or two, Joshua has asked some of his fellow soap cast members to show their support for the swimmers taking the plunge - with Mark Charnock who play Marlon Dingle and Beth Cordingly who plays Ruby Fox-Miligan, both recording messages of support.

Chairman of the Tenby Sea Swim Association that organises the Boxing Day Swim, Sam Skyrme-Blackhall said: “We are really grateful for Joshua's support and we hope this will add to the fun of this great tradition. We are really encouraged that numbers booking to do the swim are up on last year and we are anticipating big numbers."