Rowers' final leg of record bid

The brave rowers have faced force eight gales and had to ration water

Four rowers attempting to become the first people to row non-stop around Britain are expected to achieve their ambitious record book bid on Monday.

The men, led by Lt William de Laszlo, 26, of Alton, Hants, are due to arrive at London's Tower Bridge by 1000 BST, after rowing for 26 days and 20 hours.

The rest of the team are Lt Ben Jesty, 24, of London; Sgt James Bastin, 34, of Gloucs; and Will Turnage, 25, of Hants.

They hope to raise £1m for charity with their GB Row Challenge.

Crowded shipping lanes

During their journey, the three Grenadier Guards - based at Windsor, Berkshire - and company director Will Turnage, from Lymington, have rowed an average of more than 70 miles a day.

The crew has braved force eight gales and 50ft waves in the Irish Sea.

Two oars were smashed when a rogue wave flipped their 23ft-long boat, the Outward Bound over, off Scarborough.

They were expected to take between six to eight weeks but have managed the feat in less than four weeks despite being so short of drinking water each oarsmen had to be rationed to just one litre of water per day.

Non-stop circumnavigation of the British coastline in a rowing boat has never been attempted before because of the treacherous tides and crowded shipping lanes.

The crew could earn a place in the Guinness World Records Book.