A YORK schoolgirl has had her long hair cut to raise money for cancer patients.

Toni Robertson, who is 12, has raised more than £600 in sponsorship by having her head shaved for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The York High School pupil had her below shoulder-length hair chopped to help fund the work the charity’s nurses do for cancer patients.

Her hair was cut by her dad Lee at Karen’s unisex salon in Beaconsfield Street in Acomb.

Toni was inspired to raise the money after hearing how her grandmother Ann Greenwood was cared for by MacMillan nurses when she became ill with cancer.

Her proud mum Rebecca said: “Lee talks about his mum a lot and she has heard him say the Macmillan nurses looked after her. Ann would have been her nana.

“I’m so proud of her – she was 12 last Friday and she had her hair cut on Saturday. She is very thoughtful.

“She doesn’t have any other fundraising plans at the moment but knowing Toni, I dare say she will do something else.”

Macmillan nurses specialise in cancer and palliative care, providing support and information to people with cancer, and their families, friends and carers, from the point of diagnosis onwards.