ZOE Browning has proved to be a cut above the rest by donating her long hair to help children battling cancer.

The 28-year-old spent two hours having about nine inches of her locks cut off at the Hair Emporium in Brighton.

Hairdressers Harriet Lloyd and Amelia Dodwell offered their services for free to do the job.

The braids have now been packaged up and sent off to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which creates custom-made wigs for children who have lost their hair because of their chemotherapy treatment.

Mrs Browning, a mother of two from Mile Oak, took on the challenge because her younger sister Rebecca Foster, 20, had been helped with a wig when she was a teenager.

Ms Foster was diagnosed with leukaemia when she was 14 and had to go through gruelling chemotherapy treatment during which her hair came out.

Mrs Browning, who is studying to become an occupational therapist, said: “It helped Rebecca a lot and I wanted to do something to help.

“I’ve spent the last couple of years trying to get my hair to a good length and keep it healthy until the time was right to have it cut.

“It took about two hours to get it cut off and I like the new look although I’m still getting used to it.

“One of my daughters said I looked like a new mummy but they both really like it.

“It feels strange having a bare neck and I’m going to have to get a new scarf to keep me warm.

“I’m pleased to have done it and I just hope my hair can help someone in the same way that Rebecca was helped.”

Ms Foster, who also lives in the city, is now doing well, although she has had to have both hips replaced as a result of the steroids she had to take during her treatment.

She said: “I’m really proud of Zoe and what she has done. Having a wig really helped me when I was having treatment.

“I used to mainly wear it to school and it helped me feel I was not ill. It really did make a difference.”

Mrs Browning, who is married to Dean, 35, and has children Amy, six, and Emily, three, is also fundraising for the £350 needed for the charity to cover the cost of the wig.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/Zoe-Browning/.