Water baby Ben Slater may be only 17 months old but he is already being talked about as a future Olympic swimmer.

The toddler has taken to his local pool like a fish to water and stunned onlookers by throwing away his floats before swimming 20 metres unaided.

Mum Melanie took Ben swimming for the first time when he was just five weeks old and the aquatic tot was soon going three times a week, including weekly lessons at a club in Peacehaven.

The 31-year-old teacher from Patcham, Brighton, said: "I took him underwater and he really enjoyed it, he would splash about and look very happy."

During a sunny holiday in Lanzarote, Ben spent most of his time cooling off in the water, honing his doggy-paddle technique.

Melanie said: "We kept taking his floats away one at a time, until he was so confident in the water his instructor suggested we take his float suit off.

"He swam five metres there and then. We tried him with ten metres straight away and he completed that too.

"The following week he swam 20 metres. I was speechless and overwhelmingly proud."

Now every time the pair go swimming together, Ben always says "more" after completing another length.

His next step is likely to involve building up his stamina and developing his strokes.

Melanie, who is a keen swimmer herself, joked she would be willing to support her son's future Olympic bid.

She said: "If he wants to be put through 3,000 lengths a week for training it would be up to him.

"I'll keep taking him swimming and the next step is to develop his stroke a bit more. You never know, I might get to watch him at the 2020 Olympics."

Stacey Cater, a swimming instructor at St Luke's Pool in St Luke's Terrace, Brighton, said it was very unusual for someone as young as Ben to be able to swim so confidently.

She said: "It's brilliant. Usually children are three before they can swim unaided but it's different for every child.

"Some are natural-born swimmers and can do breaststroke as soon as they are put in the water.

"Ben's parents have obviously encouraged him from a young age and he should stick with it."