A SON who pledged to shave his long locks when he heard his mum was diagnosed with cancer has raised nearly �2,000.

When Jamie Farrington, 28, received a call from his mum Janice Wright in August to tell him that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, the first thing he did was to promise if she lost her hair, he would shave his.

Friends and family gathered round Jamie at the Haywain pub in St Ives, where Jamie has drunk for ‘many years’, last month as Janice and his brother Robbie Farrington shaved the long golden hair he has had since he was 13.

“My mum is such a strong willed person, she didn’t bat an eyelid when she was diagnosed,” the plumber said.

“I knew that she could lose her hair so I said to her that if she did then I’d shave my hair and give the money to charity.”

Mrs Wright, 55, started to lose her hair when she began chemotherapy in September after she had the cancerous tissue removed in Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Mr Farrington, who plays football for the pub’s team, has raised �1,810 for Breast Cancer Care so far but hopes to get a further �200 to reach his total.

Mrs Wright said: “It was a bit of a shock to see him after he had his head shaved as he has had long hair for 15 years. I am very proud of Jamie and I drew strength from him doing this.

“I got a lot of inspiration to get through this time, from Jamie and the rest of my family and friends including my sister-in-law who got through cancer two years ago - they have all got me through this.”

Ms Wright will start a nine-month Herceptin, an expensive cancer treatment drug programme this week and hopes to get the all clear later this year.