TWO teenagers have raised more than £1,400 for charity by cutting their hair in memory of a friend who died of leukaemia.

Poppy Wilkinson, 17, of Handcross, and Alice Wightman, 16 of, Haywards Heath, shed their locks in memory of Angus Rowland, from Staplefield, who died of acute myeloid leukaemia in 2011 aged 14.

The money will go to the Angus Rowland ForgetMeNot Fund, a charity set up by Angus’s family and friends to raise funds for blood cancer charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

Miss Wilkinson, a student at The College of Richard Collyer, Horsham, said: “I’ve never had short hair before but now I’m quite liking it.

“We are both really proud of what we did and how much we raised.”

She attended St Mark’s Church of England Primary School, Staplefield, with Angus and knew him for a long time.

She said: “He was very energetic and full of life, with a great sense of humour.”

Their cut hair will be sent to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for children who have had cancer treatment.

Elizabeth Mailey, Angus’s mother, said: “We were delighted to hear from the girls and very proud of them.

“Angus would have been 17 and many of his friends as they grow up are getting involved with our fundraising and they want to make a difference. Since 2011 we have raised £130,000.”

Jennifer Crowley and Rachel Fisk, owners of Bellamie Hair and Beauty, Handcross, provided haircuts and styling advice for the event on June 25. Miss Wilkinson said: “Alice and I approached them and asked for a discount. They said they would work for free, which was really nice of them.”

To donate visit justgiving.com/ poppyandalice4angus.