A HURSTBOURNE Tarrant schoolgirl has raised hundreds of pounds and had her “princess” locks chopped off to help children who have lost hair through illness.

Imogen Jarvis was inspired to donate her tresses to the Little Princess Trust after seeing an advert for the good work that the charity does to provide wigs for children with cancer and other illnesses.

As well as donating inches of hair, the seven-year-old has also raised £300 in the process for the charity.

Talking about what her long hair meant to her, she said: “I loved my hair long because I looked like a princess but seeing an advert about the Little Princess Trust made me want to help those children because they looked so sad.”

Imogen, who attends Hurstbourne Tarrant Primary School, had her hair cut at home by a teaching assistant from the school who is a former hairdresser.

On having her hair cut so short for the first time, she continued: “I was nervous and I couldn’t believe that my beautiful hair was going but I was very excited at the same time.

“I’m so happy to do something and raise money for such a worthy cause.”

The Little Princess Trust provide real-hair wigs free of charge to children in the UK and Ireland who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment and other illnesses as well as donating hundreds of thousands of pounds to support child cancer research and other research projects.

After having her hair chopped off, Imogen added: “I’m very, very, very happy with my shorter hair but I’m also a little sad that it’s gone.

“I want to grow it long again so I can do this again when I’m older.

“I’m very proud to have raised all that money to help other children.”

For more information about the trust, visit littleprincesses.org.uk.