PARENTS kept their heads as they lost their locks for charity last week.

A sponsored head shave was just one of many events staged at Auckland Youth and Community Centre in Bishop Auckland to raise money for Children in Need.

Sure Start Wear Valley, which provides opportunities for pre-school children, managed to persuade local police and firemen to take part in a sponsored chest wax, organised a funniest bear competition and other events for children and their parents in Bishop Auckland. A total of £900 was raised. Only the mile of smiles fell short of its target, but children still managed to draw enough smiley faces to fill about half a mile.