LOSING her long locks was worth it as far as a Basingstoke mum was concerned as she pulled in the pounds for a good cause.

Sarah Bowden, 31, had her shoulder-length brown hair completely shaved off in Twist Hair Salon, in Swan Street, Kingsclere, to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Sarah said that having her head shaved had been “very strange”, but said she did not regret it “for a second.”

The mum-of-four said: “Cancer has an impact on so many lives, and over the last few years, I have seen people who are close to me going through some awful times.

“I also wanted to prove to people – especially young girls – that you don’t have to look a certain way, that you can shave your head if you want to.

“My children thought I was mad when I told them I was planning on getting my head shaved. They said to me: ‘You can’t do that’. But I’m really glad I did.”

So far, Sarah has raised £1,300 for Cancer Research UK, hundreds more than her original target of £1,000.

She said: “I’ve smashed my target – it’s been great.

“I’ve realised that people are really generous. Facebook has been a great way of getting donations from people and it’s not just family and friends who have donated.

“I’m really pleased with the amount of money that I’ve raised, and my hair is already growing back.”

To support Sarah by making a donation to Cancer Research UK, visit justgiving.com/ sarah-bowden2014.