A DARING dad is going to great lengths for a charity fundraising effort - by swimming the equivalent of the English Channel.

Dad-of-one Maurice McQuillian, 33, was diagonsed with Type 1 diabetes just eight months ago and is now undertaking the marathon challenge to raise awareness of the illness.

Maurice, of Pennyfern Road in Greenock, is swimming 22 miles, the equivalent of the stretch of water between England and France for Diabetes UK.

He decided to take up the daunting challenge after finding out he had the rare form of the illness which is most commonly diagnosed when sufferers are still teenagers.

Maurice, who has a seven-year-old son Hayden, said: "I have always been fairly healthy but I started to feel seriously dehydrated and was constantly drinking fluids.

"I felt something wasn't right so I went to my GP.

"They carried out blood tests and when they came back I was shocked to discover I had diabetes.

"At first they thought it was Type 2 but then they realised I needed to be on insulin because it was Type 1." Like sufferers across the UK, he now faces a lifetime taking insulin injections to control his condition.

Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the pancreas does not produce any insulin.

After a period of time spent regulating his body, Maurice has now decided to take up the challenge on behalf of Diabetes UK.

He chose to swim for charity and has already completed around 10 miles so far.

Over the next two months he will power through the pool at the Waterfront to not only support others with the illness, but to show that life doesn't stop with the diagnosis of diabetes. The assistant manager at Domino's Pizza in Greenock is also being backed in his quest by his workmates.

Owner Graeme Tobias said: "We are all very proud of Maurice and are very excited to support him in completing his swimming challenge to raise funds and awareness." A donation page has been set up to help raise money and Maurice is aiming to meet his target of �300.

Donations can be made using the following website www.diabeteschallenge.org.uk/challenge/mauricemcquillian-swim22