A BRAVE youngster chopped off 18 inches of her hair to support her grandad with Parkinson's Disease.

Katie Sutton, eight, helped out two charities by cutting off her long locks - donating £300 to Parkinson's UK and sending her hair to the Little Princess Trust, which makes wigs for children with terminal illnesses.

The Broom Grove Junior School pupil, from Wivenhoe, wanted to raise awareness after her grandad Terry Sutton, former Mayor of Colchester, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2016.

Her brother William, 17, had died his hair purple for the same cause the year Terry, 69, was diagnosed.

Katie's mum, Keeley Sutton, said Katie smashed her fundraising target.

Gazette:

She said: "She's really thrilled, her teachers sponsored her as well as family friends.

"She was really excited about having her hair cut but a was a bit anxious when we got to the salon.

"She really likes her new style."

Instead of going for the classic shoulder-length bob, Katie went the extra mile by having one side of her head completely shaved.

Keeley said: "She wanted to go that extra bit further to raise even more money."

She had her hair cut at Caramel Brown in Stanway, and hairdressers cut her hair for free.