Girl donates hair

Rachel Rourke, 14, is donating her pony tail to a charity that creates wigs for youngsters who lose their hair through illness. The hair will now be used by the Little Princesses Trust to create a wig for a young cancer or alopecia sufferer who could not otherwise afford one.

Rachel, from Heald Green, Stockport, has also raised more than £200 in sponsorship from the hair cut. She will give the money to animal charity PDSA.

She said: "I was ready for a hair cut so I thought why not make it into a sponsorship event and raise some awareness for charities. It was a real shock to see all that hair come off but I like the new look and I think I'm going to stick with it short."

Hairdressers GJ's The Salon trimmed her blonde tresses for free - donating the cost of the cut to her charities.

And Rachel's mum Helen showed her moral support by having 12 inches of her own hair cut for the Little Princesses' cause.

Helen said: "I'm very proud that Rachel thought to do this and chose two important charities to benefit. Her hair was magnificent and she really loved it so it's great that other children can now enjoy that. When she decided to go through with it I though I'd go along and do my bit too."

The Little Princesses Trust is based in Hereford and was set up in memory of young cancer sufferer Hannah Tarplee who died in 2005. It raises money to create wigs for girls and boys, tailored to look and feel as much like their original hair as possible.