A POPULAR new year day swim has been cancelled for the second year in a row.

Barry Island’s new year day swim was founded more than 30 years ago in 1984, when a group of friends celebrating New Year’s Eve made a pact to go into the sea the next day.

They were true to their word, but could not have anticipated how Barry Island's new year day swim would grow into an annual event, attracting hundreds of people to the sea at Whitmore Bay - some plunging in, others dipping in their toes.

Barry Island’s new year day swim, which would have been on January 1, 2022, has been cancelled due to Welsh Government's Covid restrictions.

This is the second consecutive year the swim has been put on hold; the 2021 was also cancelled due to the  coronavirus pandemic.

Founder and organiser, Rob Salter, said: “No swim this year I’m afraid.

“Due to the ongoing Covid situation and the prohibitive cost of insurance along with all the other necessary safety measures it is not viable to run the event this year.”

Mr Salter was one of the five friends who organised the original dip in 1984 and he helps organise the annual swim.

Sully-based hospice Ty Hafan briefly took over the event, hoping to raise funds for their work, but returned the reigns to Mr Salter in 2020.