A mother-of-three has raised thousands of pounds for charity by shaving off her waist- length hair just hours before beginning chemotherapy.

Jill Parlett, 37, was diagnosed with breast cancer on May 17 and begins a course of chemotherapy today.

Last night, at the Biddick Social Club in Washington, Wearside, she had her hair shaved off to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Jill, who lives with her children aged 15, six and five, in Lambton, Washington, said: "People recognised me because of my hair, it's almost down to my waist and curly and dark. So I decided I didn't want to lose it with a whimper and I wanted to take control of the situation.

"The consultant told me that I was likely to lose my hair as a result of the chemotherapy, so that's when I decided to do something positive about it."

Jill wanted to raise money for the charity because it has had such an impact on her family. When she was seven, her six-month-old sister, June, died from leukaemia and all her grandparents died of cancer.

Last night's venture raised £1,000 for the research charity, a sum which has been matched by Barclays Bank where Jill works as a sales and service advisor in Sunderland.