SUPPORTERS of the save Chepstow Tourist Information Centre campaign have swam in almost freezing waters to raise funds for the cause.

Kim Jarvis, of St Lawrence Road, along with three other supporters of the campaign took part in a sponsored wild swim at Sgwd Gwladus waterfall in Pontneddfechan on Sunday.

He said the team swam in water temperature's around four degrees Celsius.

The team raised £100 which will go towards funding a banner and publicity material to gain support from the campaign.

Mr Jarvis said he is keen help turn the Chepstow Tourist Information Centre (TIC) into a community meeting place, a tourist centre, a café and a craft shop while taking it off the county council’s hands.

Chepstow’s TIC is currently closed and will be shut for large chunks of June and July.

Mr Jarvis said: "We as citizens of Chepstow want a vibrant town and a vibrant tourist information centre.

"I have presented at Chepstow Town Council and they have agreed to table the issue on a future agenda. Monmouthshire County Council are being very evasive - I appreciate there are budgeting issues but we would like to know exactly what they are doing with the TIC.

"Monmouthshire County Council have said to me they've got it all in hand with due diligence and can't talk about it until September.

"I'm terrified come September they are going to deliver a fait accompli and say sorry it's too late to do anything about it."

The council said they will open the TIC on Saturday, May 28 until Sunday, June 5 and Tuesday, July 19 until Wednesday, August 31.

Deputy council leader Cllr Bob Greenland, who is its cabinet member responsible for tourism, has previously said that the council is 'actively' considering the future of tourist information services in Chepstow stating that further reductions in government funding have meant there are insufficient funds to operate the service as last year.

Other Monmouthshire Council-run TICs are open in Abergavenny, at the Tithe Barn, at Monmouth’s Shire Hall, the Usk Rural Life Museum, Caldicot Castle and the Old Station in Tintern.

The Save Chepstow TIC group have set up a Facebook page or to donate visit crowdfunding.justgiving.com/kim-jarvis-Save-Chepstow-TIC