A determined 13-year-old girl will lose most of her hair to fashion into a wig for a cancer charity.

Sir John Colfox school student Ella-May Cauldwell, who lives in Bridport with mum Hannah Lee, decided to cut more than seven inches off her hair which reaches below her knees.

The brave teenager’s efforts come after learning more about charity The Little Princess Trust, which provides free real-hair wigs to children across the UK that have lost their own hair through cancer treatment.

Mum of three Hannah said: “We were watching a YouTube video from the charity which showed a girl Ella’s own age struggling with hair loss and that really struck home for Ella.

“She is keen to raise as much money as possible for The Little Princess Trust to send with her hair donation, which will help the charity with the expenses involved with the wig making and so on.

“She has always had more hair than the average child since she was born; it is now quite exceptional and more than a metre in length.

“I am so proud of Ella because although her hair is very much a part of who she is she feels that the time has come to cut it to a more manageable length – and would love for it to be made into a wig for a child suffering with hair loss.” Ella will be facing the scissors at in Beau hairdressing in Bridport on October 28, the Tuesday of half term. It will take place at 6.30pm and refreshments and a raffle will be available.

Despite the event being more than a month away, Ella has already raised a total of £100 on her justgiving page; 70 per cent of her target amount of £150.

Hannah added: “We want to raise as much money as possible for The Little Princess Trust because it is a very worthy cause.”

A collection pot will be based at the salon to help Ella’s efforts.

Monica Glass, charity manager for The Little Princess Trust, said: “Everyone associated with the Little Princess Trust is so very grateful to Ella for her amazing contribution of hair. It is most definitely one of the longest hair donations that the charity has received, and it’s wonderful that Ella has decided to do so much for others and to help a child with cancer in this way.”

For details or to donate visit justgiving.com/Ella-May.