A STUDENT is to have her head shaved for charity after being moved by the story of her friend's young niece.

Alice Reid, who attends Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, decided to give her long dark tresses to support her friend Laura Rutherford, whose two-year-old niece Katie Grant has undergone surgery to remove a malignant brain tumour.

Alice, 17, will be shorn at lunchtime next Friday in the student common room by a stylist from Tracy Chipperfield's salon in Coniscliffe Road.

"I am beginning to feel really nervous, but I really want to raise a lot of money for cancer research," said Alice. "I've got at least £300 in pledges and I'm sure students will give generously on the day. The Student Association is helping with sponsorship and there will be a bucket collection."

Members of Katie's family, touched by Alice's deed, are also drumming up sponsorship. "If Katie is well enough I hope she'll be in the common room to join in the fun," said Laura.

Katie, who lives with her parents Justine and Andy in Darlington, was like any other two-year-old until taken ill six weeks ago.

A bout of sickness diagnosed as a tummy bug did not clear up, and when Katie began to squint, her worried parents were advised to take her to the emergency clinic at the Memorial Hospital.

Two days later a brain scan revealed a large tumour and Katie was immediately taken to Newcastle General Hospital, where it was removed. She was in intensive care for three days, in hospital for two weeks and has been in and out since then.

Although she looks a picture of health, she is enduring three months of chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy, and then chemotherapy again for at least a year.

Her mother Justine said: "It was such a shock to hear that Katie had a brain tumour. I couldn't take it in at first. But everyone has been brilliant."

She paid tribute to medical staff, to Alice for sacrificing her elbow-length hair, and to all who were helping raise money.