A COMMUTER who was sick to death of car fumes and road jams has gone to extreme lengths to avoid them.

Trainee architect Ricardo Assis Rosa now travels to and from work in his canoe, which he manages to chain to railings outside his office.

The 29-year-old travels at no more than two miles an hour but says the slow speed is worth the extra time to avoid all the problems of everyday commuting.

Despite travelling at a snail's pace, it takes Mr Rosa just 35 minutes to canoe two miles to work and instead of facing congested roads his only problem is navigating around swans.

Mr Rosa said: "Canoeing takes longer than going by car, but it is a lot more pleasant.

"I find the fumes and the noise and traffic can put me in a bad mood all day, but after a gentle canoe into work I feel really relaxed and full of energy.

"There are swans and ducks and animals along the way, and it's a great way of getting fit and breaking the routine. It feels like you're on holiday."

Daily commute ... the distance Mr Rosa travels to work

SWNS

Mr Rosa joined Batterham Matthews Designs in Batheaston, Somerset, six months ago, an architectural practice just under two miles from his riverside home in Bath.

He began paddling to work after he was lent a canoe by a colleagues and found instructions on how to use it on the internet.

The experiment has been so successful that Mr Rosa now says he will not go back to his previous methods of taking the bus or cycling.

The journey home also takes about 35 minutes, but with much less paddling because it is downstream.

Mr Rosa, who moved to the UK from Portugal eight years ago, said: "At the beginning I was a bit wobbly because I had never canoed before.

"But I'm getting much better. It's been very windy and rainy recently and I've been alright. It makes the trip more exciting.

"I haven't capsized yet, but I'm sure I'll go in one day and have to sit in my soaking work clothes all day. Standing up to get in and out is the most dangerous point."

His colleagues at the practice, which specialises in eco-homes, have already been inspired by his example to look into adopting it themselves.

"I'm hoping they will join me", Mr Rosa added. "Now it's lighter in the evenings there is no reason not to."