Caring Lydia Crawford, nine, donated some of her hair, swam a mile and held a cake sale to raise money for the Little Princess Trust.

The charity provides real hair wigs free to boys and girls who have lost their own hair through cancer treatment and other illnesses.

Lydia, of Bulkington, heard about the charity and following the death of her grandfather, Chris Tapliss, 67, last October she decided to raise money.

Mr Tapliss, of Melksham, called Lydia ‘his little princess.’ He was also a swimming coach and Lydia loves swimming.

She is a member of Trowbridge Amateur Swimming Club and trains every Sunday in Trowbridge and set herself the challenge of swimming a mile (64 lengths).

She completed the distance last Thursday in 45 minutes and could have carried on.

She said: “I didn’t find it hard at all. I normally do 50 lengths in half an hour. I did have to pace myself and push myself quite hard.”

The following day she had her hair cut at Tops hair salon in Melksham. Her long blonde hair was below the bottom of her back and she had ten inches cut off.

Then when she returned home she baked cakes and biscuits, helped by her younger sister, Georgia, six, and her mum, Clare, for a coffee and cake morning at her home on Saturday.

Friends and family brought biscuits and the event raised £180. Lydia, a pupil at Keevil Primary School, had set herself a target of raising £350 for the Trust and so far she has raised more than £800.

She said: “I’m really happy about the amount raised. When children get their wig they must be so amazed and happy because they have been without hair for such a long time.”

See www.justgiving.com/lydiacrawford