A FATHER and his teenage son are hoping to avoid coming head to head with any stroppy swans when they tackle a 284-mile canoe challenge.

Retired police officer Ian Styles, 58, and Michael, 18, are paddling from Bristol to London and back again to raise money for Breast Cancer Now.

The pair, who live in Taunton, have only been canoeing since October but are putting in four exhausting training sessions each week to prepare for the two-week marathon starting on Sunday, June 12.

They load up the canoe with 30 kilos of bricks to replicate the effect of the equipment they will be taking with them during the actual challenge.

"It's something I've always wanted to do, but it hasn't been possible until now," said Mr Styles.

"We hope to reach London in five days, but it's probably going to take nine days returning due to the currents."

They will be using single-bladed paddles and alternating their positions in their Canadian canoe, similar to the ones used by Indians in cowboy films.

Mr Styles added: "We're confident we'll do it.

"I've certainly got a lot fitter since training - I've lost about 1.5in around my waist and put on an inch around my chest, while losing around 10lbs.

"Training has been going well, apart from an aggressive swan on the Bridgwater to Taunton Canal that has attacked us four times.

"He's charged the canoe twice and once he caught Michael on his life jacket and another time he hit me.

"We get out of the water now when we seen him and walk past."

Mr Styles and Michael who works for Sainsbury's, are already planning a follow-up canoe trip next year.

"If we're still talking after this one, the plan is to do the Caledonian Canal from one side of Scotland to the other - Inverness to Fort William."

You can sponsor the two via Just Giving or by texting CANU66 to 70070 with the amount you wish to donate.