Grandma's 60-year-old plait of hair helps children with cancer

The plait was discovered by 21-year-old Charlotte Tasquier while she was helping her family to sort through the belongings of her late grandma Elaine Burrell at her home in Hill’s Place, Horsham.

Charlotte decided to donate her grandma’s plait to the Little Princess Trust which turns donated hair into real-hair wigs for children who have lost their own through cancer treatment.

Charlotte, a former Millais pupil who has just graduated and completed training as a Norland nanny, said: “I came across the charity recently and was so moved I donated my own hair and raised over £300 in funds through a sponsored haircut.

“So when I found grandma’s 60-year-old plait at her old home I contacted the Little Princess Trust charity to see if it was of use. Amazingly it was so well preserved it can be used to help more poorly children, which is wonderful and my grandma would be thrilled as she was so loving and was very fond of children throughout her life.

“I had seen pictures of grandma with long hair riding horses as a young girl. Then when she was about 15-years-old she had it cut off and kept it safely in a box out of sunlight which is why it can still be used today.”

Charlotte’s grandma died in September, aged 75.