A NINE-year-old Leominster boy is the toast of the town's Cub Scouts after performing a fine swimming feat in aid of the Leominster swimming pool fund.

Luke Gower, of Hereford Road, Leominster, a pupil at Ivington Primary School, took part in a Leominster Scout Group sponsored swim at the Ludlow pool for the WWOP fund.

Luke, who had no experience of distance swimming, amazed onlookers after he got in the water and did not stop swimming until he had done 40 lengths.

A family friend, Beryl Bayliss, who was watching, said: ''Luke had not done any swimming for some months and previously struggled to do two lengths. He just kept going - we were astonished."

Luke raised £50 for the new Leominster pool and was praised at his school assembly.