A YOUNG Hampshire girl is braving the shave later this month, as she aims to raise thousands for charity.

Martha Stacey, 5, from Hedge End will soon be losing her long locks when she chops off around 12 inches of her hair - bringing it to just above shoulder height - in a bid to raise as much money as possible for the Princess Foundation Trust.

While the five-year-old's hair was getting longer and longer during lockdown, Martha's mum Sally pitched her the idea of getting much more cut off than usual, so that it can be donated to the children that really need it, and after being giving time to think over the decision, Martha was "all for it".

Speaking on her daughter's charity hair cut, Sally said: "Martha was originally going to have about 6 inches off, but I stumbled across the Princess Foundation Trust and thought it would be amazing to donate. I suggested the idea to her and she said it would be amazing, I showed her the videos and she was all for it.

"I'm so proud of her, it's great that we can donate it to a child that really needs it and I hope that this is inspiring for other children and adults, as each donation makes such a massive difference.

"We were absolutely gobsmacked by the amount of support Martha received in terms of donations, within just 48 hours, the target was more than doubled. If we can raise as much as possible it would be fantastic."

The fundraising target of £550 - enough for the Princess Foundation Trust to create one wig - was more than doubled within two days, and now the current total stands at £1,250.

In a video to friends and family, thanking them for their donations, Martha said: "Thank you everyone for these donations. I don't want my hair to go but I know other people don't have any hair and I'm very happy I made the decision to give it to other people."