A NINE-year-old girl is having her long hair cut off to raise funds for a children's cancer charity.

Hannah Wood, a pupil at Hovingham Primary School, has been growing her waist-length hair for three years.

Her mum Nicola said she had been toying with the idea of getting it cut for a while but didn't just want her hair throwing into the bin.

"I did some research and found the Little Princess Trust. She fell in love with the idea immediately and has talked of little else since," she said.

"She is very excited about doing it and said that she hopes that her hair makes a child who has lost theirs feel happier and more confident."

The Little Princess Trust was launched in 2006 by the family of Hannah Tarplee, along with help from friends and her school, Hereford Cathedral Junior School.

Hannah was diagnosed with having a Wilms tumour and died in 2005. At that time, finding high quality wigs for children was very difficult and only after a long search was a suitable company eventually found which made a wig for Hannah. After Hannah died, her parents, Wendy and Simon decided that the most fitting way to use this help was to launch a charity dedicated to providing specialist real hair children’s wigs.

Nicola said: "So far Hannah has raised £231 but she would love to raise £350 as this is what it costs the charity to provide a wig. Claire from 'Scissors to go' is kindly donating her fee for the haircut to the cause.

"I have mixed feelings about it- me and her dad are extremely proud of her but it will be sad to see it get cut because its so beautiful."

Anyone who would like to sponsor Hannah can go to her Mydonate.com page or email Nicola@woodlandscapes.co.uk