A GUTSY Cirencester woman shaved off all of her hair earlier today after raising almost £1,500 in three weeks for a Diabetes charity.

Belinda Stratford, who works on the dairy counter at Tesco Kingsmeadow, sat nervously outside the store entrance in front of a large crowd on Friday, May 16 while she waited for her hairdresser to make the first cut.

She admitted feeling really positive about the challenge and said she felt so pleased to have raised such a huge amount.

“I’ve always been a bit fussy about my hair and thought I could use a challenge,” she said.

“I did a raffle a few years ago at Tesco and raised about £600 so I thought this would be the same. “When I added it all up and saw the amount I just thought, ‘oh my god!’ “Everyone has been so generous.”

Belinda’s father, who watched his daughter have her head shaved, has diabetes. Her late mother, who died in 2007 also suffered with the condition.

“This cause really means something to me,” Belinda continued. “If my Mum was here she would be so proud. It would have been nice if she had been here to see me.”

Diabetes UK is Tesco’s charity of the year for 2014.