AN ATHELSTANEFORD Primary School pupil has decided to cut her long locks – to help little rescue dog Benjie (pictured).

Aria Beveridge, 5, of East Fortune, is also donating her shorn hair to the ‘Little Princess Trust’, a charity that provides real hair wigs to children and young people who have lost their hair due to cancer or other health reasons.

Said her mum Alice: “We were round at a friend of the family’s home and their little girl had lost her hair.

“Her mother was knitting her hats to wear and Aria asked me why. When I told her she said, ‘Can’t she just have my hair?’

“That was when she decided to grow her hair really long so that she could donate it to the Little Princess Trust to help other little children that were in the same position.”

Aria has been growing her hair for just under a year, and decided she would also use the opportunity to raise some money to help dog Benjie.

Benjie was rescued by ‘Until Every Dog Has a Home’, the charity that her dad Ross works with and is staying with the Beveridges for the time being.

Benjie required an operation at six months old and, after his heart stopped beating on the operating table, had to be revived. There is now a possibility that Benjie has brain damage and requires neurological tests to find out.

Almost £2,000 has been raised already through other events and fundraising activities and Aria is hoping her efforts will help edge the total amount to closer to £4,000.

“We’re very proud of her” said Ross, “she’s such a good little soul”.

Her hair will be cut this Saturday at the salon at 2 Court Street, Haddington. To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfund ing/helpushelpbenjie