DAVID Beckham's haircuts come and go. The latest is a cropped style, perhaps in sympathy with his close shaves over allegations of marital straying.

Yet the footballer seems far from penitent in the pictures, grinning away as he poses with Victoria in a brightly stage-managed show of unity.

Sadly, this somewhat sickly display will have one certain outcome: boys everywhere will doubtless be rushing to the barbers to copy the latest Beckham look.

Rarely has one man's head been of such interest. Well, from the outside anyway.

Updated: 10:01 Tuesday, April 20, 2004