Boy, 8, cuts 14-inch long hair in aid of seal sanctuary

Ollie's hair will be donated to The Little Princess Trust, which provides free real hair wigs to children and young people

An eight-year-old boy has had his first ever haircut to raise money for orphaned and injured seal pups.

Ollie, from Beeston, in Nottinghamshire, had his 14-inch locks cut at Natureland Seal Sanctuary, in Skegness, Lincolnshire, on Thursday.

His mother Kaitlynn said the sanctuary was "thrilled" with his £1,500 fundraising effort.

Ollie's hair will be donated to a charity that provides wigs to children and young people.

Kaitlynn said Ollie's seal toy collection had expanded since he was three and he "now has a whole colony of seals"

Kaitlynn said she visited the seal sanctuary with Ollie when he was three.

"He was absolutely obsessed from that moment," she said. "It was like his whole dreams had come true."

Ollie said he felt "ecstatic" with his new hairstyle

Ollie said he loved seals and had been growing his hair for "my whole entire life".

"I want to do it for the seals and the people, who have cancer who need wigs," he added.

He said the sanctuary "needs money for food, care and attention".

"They find poorly seals and look after them until they are all better and they are ready to set sail off home."

Ollie was thanked with a handmade seal teddy made from the wool of an alpaca from the Natureland Seal Sanctuary

Ollie's hair was cut by a volunteer hairdresser in front of visitors at the sanctuary, joined by his friends and family and live streamed on social media.

Kaitlynn said he was "really excited" to do it for the seals and The Little Princess Trust, adding she was "really impressed and proud of him".

Ollie, who now has a short, back and side hairstyle, said: "I'm back with a new hairstyle. I feel ecstatic."

Natureland Seal Sanctuary has been rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned and injured seal pups since 1965