A man who has been growing his hair for three years is finally getting it chopped off to make wigs for children.

Karl Dearn will face the chop this week in order for it to be sent away to make wigs for children and young people who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment or other conditions.

Karl, 30, from Darwen, started growing his hair in January 2020 at the same time as doing Dry January and originally said it would just be for that month, with no plans to continue growing it or to donate it.

However, he eventually decided to carry on and has now been growing it for three years in order to send it off to the Little Princess Trust, along with any money raised for his endeavour.

Some of the funds will also be sent to Derian House, a children’s hospice based in Chorley, who looked after a family member of Karl’s before they died.

Elle Morris, Karl’s partner, said: “He’s been growing it since 2020. I don’t know what it was really, he just always likes to help charities.

“He’s growing his hair and raising money for the Little Princess Trust and any money left over he’s donating to Derian House.

“He had a cousin who died when she was two and she was looked after by Derian House, so anything left over is going there but he wanted to donate hair as well as money to the Little Princess Trust.

“There’s no specific reason as to why he’s doing it. It was January 2020 when he started growing it while he was doing Dry January and he was he wasn’t going to get his haircut for that month.

“He wasn’t planning on waiting three years but it’s come to it now and once he gets it cut he’s going again straight away and growing it again.”

As well as setting up a GoFundMe page, which has a target of £250, Karl has been raising money with sponsorship forms at his workplace at Darwen Football Club and has raised more than £100 that way.

Elle said: “On the GoFundMe we’re hoping to get £250. I think he’s raised over £100 in cash but the GoFundMe isn’t really going anywhere.

“I want him to raise as much as he can so that he feels like he’s done something for his little cousins and so that he can split the money.

“He’s getting it cut this Saturday so he’s going to try and collect all the cash by then to send off with the pack of hair.”

As well as doing this challenge and other charity fundraisers, such as boxing events, Elle says Karl is a really community-oriented person who will always try to help others.

At Halloween he brought home a wooden crate from work, filled it with soil and pumpkins, and posted in a Darwen community group on Facebook telling people there were free pumpkins available if they were not able to get to a shop to buy one.

He also placed football nets that were bought for his son for Christmas in the field close to their home along with a sign saying that other people were welcome to use them as long as they did not damage them.

Karl will be getting his locks cut off this Friday (January 20) at the A-Head of Time hairdressers in Darwen.

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.