An intrepid kayaker completed a 125-mile water way race despite blisters and bruising.

Before tackling his impressive feat, profoundly deaf Robert Wilson had only ever covered about 20 miles in his kayak, usually with a pub lunch along the way.

The electrical engineer, of Heybridge, decided to sign up to the four-day race with the aim of raising £4,000 for four charities - Action for Hearing Loss, Cancer Research, Macmillan Cancer Support and WaterAid.

He trained six days a week throughout the winter to build up his stamina.

Father-of-two Mr Wilson, who is more than 80 per cent deaf in both ears, set off from Devizes on Good Friday and reached Westminster at 7.32am on Easter Monday.

By Sunday, his muscles were aching and “each paddle stroke felt as if someone had punched his arm”.

The 51-year-old member of Chelmsford Canoe Club crossed the finish line after 26 hours 57 minutes in the water.

He said: “It was certainly an interesting experience and seeing London from water level is quite humbling.

To sponsor Mr Wilson, visit justgiving.com/teams/DW2015