A GRANDMOTHER who is fighting her own battle against cancer has donated her long locks to a charity making wigs for children with the disease.

Halina Holman was diagnosed with breast cancer in January and after a series of operations began a course of chemotherapy last week.

As the treatment usually results in total hair loss, the 67-year-old decided to take the initiative and have her hair cut short first.

She approached the hair and beauty department at Bishop Auckland College and asked if the students would cut her hair and send it on to the Little Princess Trust.

Staff and students at the college treated the retired teacher and charity worker, of Langley Moor, County Durham, to a haircut and much deserved pampering.

Mrs Holman, who lost her husband Michael to leukaemia six years ago and has three children and four grandchildren, said: "I've always had long hair - my husband loved my hair - and for a woman the loss of your hair is significant.

"They (Bishop Auckland College) have done a wonderful job with my hair. Apparently I look years younger. The girls were absolutely brilliant - very sympathetic and thought it was a lovely idea. I was very impressed with everybody at the college."

The Little Princess Trust was launched in 2006 by the parents of Hannah Tarplee, who died in 2005 after being diagnosed with a Wilms tumour. Her parents Wendy and Simon had great difficulty finding a high quality child's wig.

After her death the couple decided to launch a charity dedicated to providing specialist children's wigs and during the past seven years the Little Princess Trust has helped over 2,200 boys and girls.

The Hereford-based charity relies heavily on donations, with each wig costing up to £2,000 to make.

Charity Manager Monica Glass said: "If the charity is lucky enough to receive donations of suitable hair like Halina's, they can be made into wigs that the charity may use for free. Halina really is a wonderful person for choosing to help children with cancer at such a difficult time in her own life."

For more information about the Little Princess Trust email info@littleprincesses.org.uk or visit littleprincesses.org.uk