Girl's locks help charity

Shropshire schoolgirl Robyn Galtrey Matthews was rightly proud of her beautiful hip-length hair.

But she decided it just had to go when she was moved by the death of her young cousin.

Robyn had her locks cut for charity after little Lauren Brown died from cancer at the age of just eight.

Robyn, 12, of Trench, Telford, decided to do something positive as the two girls had always been close.

She decided to have her hair cut in aid of the Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes and provides wigs for young cancer sufferers who have lost their hair.

Robyn's mum Val Matthews said she had never heard of the charity before but her daughter was adamant that she wanted to help and was prepared to kiss goodbye to her 30ins-long hair to do so.

The Swan in Waters Upton was the venue for the cut and hairdresser Jo Burt, of Toni and Guy's salon in Telford town centre, turned out to wield the scissors.

Robyn had 13ins lopped off her hair and raised more than £700 for the charity, enough to make at least two wigs.

Mrs Matthews said: "I'd like to say a big thank you to Steve Beech and Tracy Short who run The Swan for letting us do the sponsored cut there."