A FORMER military nurse suffering from ME had her head shaved to raise £10,000 for research into the illness.

Barbara Shuttleworth decided to go under the razor because her condition means she cannot do anything physically tiring to raise money.

The 66-year-old, who was diagnosed 28 years ago with the incurable illness which can cause chronic fatigue, muscle pain and cognitive impairment, travelled from her Hertfordshire home to Teesside for the drastic haircut.

Although her family have always lived in Hertfordshire, the shave will take place by the pitch at the Riverside Stadium because her husband and daughter are lifelong supporters of Middlesbrough Football Club.

She said: "I will probably look horrendous but it is not about me, it is about the research."

Before the illness took effect she was a Captain in the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps in Hong Kong in the 1970s.

There is currently no cure for ME, which affects an estimated 250,000 people in the UK, and little is known about its cause.

Mrs Shuttleworth has already raised £7,208.68 towards her goal. People can donate by visiting her JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/Barbara-Shuttleworth3/ or texting KBLS83 followed by the donation amount to 70070.