IT was off with the long locks for Malvern woman Ruth Joynes when she had her head shaved to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

She was taking part in the charity's Brave the Shave campaign, and her courage has already paid off, with £700 already raised for the cause and more hopefully to come.

Mrs Joynes, aged 52, an activities assistant at Sanctuary Care’s Hastings Residential Care Home in Barnards Green, and also an adult education tutor, said took the plunge and had her head shaved by good friend Paula Trafford.

She made the decision to shave her head after her mother, 86-year-old Joan Joynes, was diagnosed with breast cancer in March.

She said: “I always said I would shave my head at 60 to start growing old disgracefully, but the Brave the Shave campaign was too good an opportunity to miss, so I did it sooner.”

“Both of my mother’s parents died of cancer in their early 60s and so many people I know have been affected by it, some quite traumatically, so it was something I wanted to do.”

Residents and staff at Hastings were there when she underwent the hair-raising transformation, and she said: “I’ve had a really positive reaction from everyone, particularly when they knew what the cause was.

“Many of them have said I am brave but there are so many people who have done braver things than this.”

If you would like to sponsor Mrs Joynes, visit bravetheshave.org.uk/shavers/ruth-joynes/.