Boris Johnson took an early-morning dip in the Bay of Biscay today – with flipper-wearing French frogmen to protect him.
The Prime Minister donned his bathers for a 7am swim around the Roche Ronde rock off the coast of Biarritz, where he and other world leaders are meeting for a G7 summit.
The meeting is taking place amid heavy security in the resort in south-west France.
It is understood armed officers have been deployed in boats to protect the gathering.
And at least one was thought to be in the sea wearing flippers as part of the overall operation, while other troops were nearby.
The Tory leader is said to enjoy wild water swimming – and took the opportunity to get wet in the Atlantic, swimming to rock several hundred yards off the Biarritz beach.
Britain's ambassador to France, Ed Llewellyn, also swam but did not make it as far as the rock.
Mr Johnson later boasted about his dip as he tried to ram home the potential for breaking the Brexit deadlock.
"Let me give you a metaphor," the PM told ITV.
"I swam round that rock this morning.
“From here you cannot tell there is a gigantic hole in that rock. There is a way through.
"My point to the EU is that there is a way through, but you can't find the way through if you just sit on the beach."
