Many of us would rather spend our weekends doing more exciting things than our dreaded house-hold chores. However a local couple went to extreme lengths to iron out the creases of their freshly washed clothes.

Equipped with irons, boards and linen, Amy Clements and partner Jack Moon originally of Abbots Rise in Kings Langley, were among 128 divers who claimed the world record on Saturday for the most people ironing under water at the same time.

Divers braved water temperatures of 5°C at the National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC) near Chepstow in Gloucestershire to smash the current record held by 72 Australians.

The challenge was to film as many people as possible simultaneously ironing underwater. The team managed to press 86 garments within the ten minutes.

The only rules between the divers and the world record required the ironing board to be at least a metre long and divers had to be seen ironing an item at least the size of a tea towel.

Amy, a member of the Dacorum Sub-Aqua Club, said: “Jack and I have been scuba diving for more than ten years so when a friend told us about the challenge we thought we would give it a go.

“Neither of us do much ironing at home so to iron 25m under water was quite a bizarre thing to do.”

The 30-year-old barrister added: “Despite the cold weather the atmosphere was superb. I was buddied with adventurer Monty Halls and we couldn’t stop laughing.

“Seeing ten divers all lined up on top of the wreck of a BAE146 aeroplane with their ironing boards was one of the most surreal sights I have ever seen.

In addition to breaking the world record, the aim was to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution – a charity that provides 24-hour lifesaving around the country.

The team’s heroic effort raised more than £8,000 through application fees, sponsorship and a raffle.

Extreme ironing is an outdoor activity that combines the danger and excitement of an 'extreme' sport with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt. It involves taking an iron and board to remote locations and ironing a few items of laundry.