CARING pupil Maddy Howell has had seven inches of hair chopped off in aid of a children’s cancer charity.

The seven-year-old had her long blonde hair cut off in front of an audience including her parents, grandmother, classmates and teachers, at Fairford Primary School.

Hannington-based Maddy donated the hair and £1,150 in sponsorship to the Little Princess Trust, which provides real hair wigs to children who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment.

Each real human hair wig can cost up to £350 to make.

The prospect of a drastic haircut during assembly didn’t faze the generous seven-year old with Kelli saying there was no last minute nerves from Maddy.

Kelli Salone, Maddy’s mother, said: “I felt really nervous about it all, I was more nervous than she was.

“When the haircut began, I had to turn away because I was welling up. I just got really emotional that she was actually doing it.

“In the end it was me crying, her dad crying and her gran.”

Highworth hairdressing guru Karoliina Saunders agreed to cut Maddy’s hair and completed her transformation in only 30 minutes, with the brave seven-year-old only shown the haircut when the cut was finished.

Maddy’s chic new look has a touch of magic about it, with Harry Potter star Emma Watson serving as the inspiration behind the pixie cut, which Kelli is still getting used to.

“Even when she was born she had more hair than she does now. Her hair has never been so short and she said she couldn’t believe how light it felt,” Kelli said.

“I worried that she wasn’t okay because she seemed to just zone out during the cut but she absolutely loves it. and doesn’t regret it at all.”

Maddy was inspired to go for the chop after watching her grandfather Nick who she enjoys a close relationship with, battle leukaemia.

He was given just three months to live but after chemotherapy his prognosis has improved.

“She said the kids won’t stop touching her hair now and they all think she’s really brave and her grandfather is so proud,” Kelli said.

“We’ve had three people thinking she’s a boy but she thinks it’s funny.”

And Maddy has been getting inventive with her new hair, with mum Kelli revealing she had her hair styled into a Mohican for school.

“She’s still saying she wants to grow it all back and cut it again after this haircut which I’m not sure about. I’ve told her she’ll probably be in middle school by the time she can do it again,” she added.

To donate mony to the charity visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/madisonhowell.