As health and safety officers, Roger Garbett and his Forest of Dean District Council colleagues should probably be more cautious than most when it comes to diving into sub-zero water.

But they enthusiastically took the plunge in the icy waters of a disused quarry.

Dubbing themselves "Health And Safety Gone Mad", they are on a mission to convince us the nanny state is not stopping us being adventurous.

Roger and fellow officers from the council's environmental health department Keith Leslie, Haydn Brookes and Rhys Thomas say they are fed-up of taking the blame for bosses who do not want to put up Christmas decorations in the office or poor organisers who cannot be bothered to arrange a pancake race.

So they want to prove to people that they do not expect them to stay at home wrapped in cotton wool.

By day they make sure local eateries are clean, that factories and events conform to the regulations and prosecute those responsible for accidents.

But in their spare time they take part in activities ranging from bog snorkelling to chariot racing – and are even planning an Arctic expedition.

After hearing health and safety officials were blamed for ending a traditional Christmas Day swim in Southwold, Suffolk, Roger and Keith took a New Year dip at the national diving centre in Tidenham, near Chepstow, to prove to people they can still do it.

Admittedly it wasn't an impromptu dip, and they made sure there were people on hand with blankets and hot drinks in case they got into trouble, but they say there is nothing wrong with a few precautions.

"We want to show people by example that health and safety is about saving lives, not stopping lives," said Roger, 49, the council's group manager of environmental services.

"We are not suggesting an 89-year-old who has never swum before should suddenly dive in an outdoor pool in January.

"But people should stop using health and safety as an excuse.

"It's all about being realistic, knowing your capabilities and taking responsibility for your own life.

"Of course there are things I would not do. Spending my life sitting on the sofa watching TV is one of them because that's dangerous. Not taking exercise is more likely to kill you than doing exercise.

"Neither would I go white water rafting in Himalayan rapids. But that's not about health and safety regulations , that's being sensible. I know I'm not good enough at canoeing to do that."

The group came up the idea of their group to get rid of years of pent up frustration at having people blame them and their colleagues for creating a nanny state.

Things came to a head for Roger when he heard people complaining that a local pancake race was cancelled for health and safety reasons.

"There's no law in the land that says you cannot have a pancake race," he said.

"It was not going ahead because the organisers had not arranged it.

"Too often health and safety is used as a reason for inaction, rather than doing things sensibly. It is not about avoiding risky decisions but taking considered risk.

"If you believe some of the stories you hear, health and safety is all about stopping any activity that might possibly lead to harm.

"This is not our vision of sensible health and safety. Our approach is to seek a balance between the unachievable aim of absolute safety and the kind of poor management of risk that damages lives and the economy.'

Roger is not a natural adrenaline junkie, and was your ordinary, middle-aged, unfit man until his doctor warned him his sedentary lifestyle would eventually kill him.

He is the oldest in the team, with Keith, Haydn and Rhys in their 20s, 30s and to 40s.

On Saturday all four will take part in the Saturnalia Mountain Bike Chariot Racing event – wearing Roman costume – in the village of Llanwrtyd Wells in Powys, Wales.

They say anyone needing help or advice with any health and safety issue can call the Forest of Dean District Council on 01594 810000 or visit the Health and Safety Executive website, www.hse. gov.uk.