IT takes a brave woman to sit in Barnoldswick Town Square and have all her hair shaved off.

But it takes a far braver one to face up to cancer, and that's why Helena Garner will lose her shoulder-length locks in support of her sister, Linda Mallaburn.

Helena, of Coates Avenue, Barnoldswick, explained that her sister had been fighting cancer for the best part of 18 years. Linda, of the town's Rainhall Crescent, was first diagnosed at 29 and now, at 47, has had to face the fact that she is terminally ill.

Throughout it all she has never complained, never given in and never let the disease get the better of her. But one thing that has upset her is losing her hair as a side effect of chemotherapy treatment.

"She's been worried about losing her hair and I thought, 'if Linda can do it, I can do it with her'," said Helena.

And so on Saturday June 9, Helena will have her head shaved in the Town Square, both as a show of support for her sister, and to raise money for Barnoldswick and Earby Bosom Friends, the local group offering help and support to anyone affected by breast cancer.

To cap it all, Helena had just had her hair permed when she made the decision to have it all shaved off.

"It's just past my shoulders now and I haven't had it short since I was 15," she said. "But if it will make Linda feel better for 10 minutes it will be worth it."

And Linda won't be alone when she goes under the clippers. When her seven-year-old son Garron heard about it, he wouldn't be left out and will have his head shaved too. "He's really close to Linda, she's like his second mum," said Helena.

Mary Brennan, from the charity group Bosom Friends, said she thought both women were brave and that hair loss was an important issue for many people, especially women, undergoing cancer treatment. Sponsor forms will be available in Barnoldswick shops soon, including Brennan's Hair Salon, on Rainhall Road, and The Town Crier office, at 5 Albert Road.

Anyone wanting to help can also phone Mary Brennan on 01282 814917.