INTREPID Lara Victoria Burke decided to baldly go where she had never gone before, to help charity.

Lara, 23, had always wanted to get rid of her flowing 22in locks, but was never able to pluck up enough courage. But this week she let the clippers loose on her hair for a sponsored head shave.

Mark Bailey, of the Toni and Guy Salon, High Row, Darlington, shaved her head to the scalp, watched by Lara's friends and colleagues from Darlington Borough Council.

She said: "It went absolutely brilliantly. I really enjoyed having it done and I love it.

"Everyone says it really suits me, so now I'm off to buy some clippers because I want to keep it like this."

Lara, of Durham, has already raised about £700 in sponsorship for the Butterwick Children's Hospice and hopes to collect even more.

Hospice representative Barbara Marr said: "She's such a game girl. She was shaved down to about half an inch, then she said to take it all off.

"She looked fantastic and we're very pleased she's done it for the children's hospice."