ALL EYES were fixed on brave schoolgirl Maddy Howell this morning as she had all of her long hair chopped off for charity - in front of nearly 100 of her classmates.

Maddy, seven, had 10 inches of her blonde hair chopped off today, leaving her with a super short do in the style of her favourite actress Emma Watson, from the Harry Potter films.

The brave Fairford Primary school pupil from Hannington decided to take on the challenge after her beloved Grampy was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2012.

Her mum Kelli Salone, 44, tried to explain the disease to her daughter and when she told her that it was not just old people who could suffer from the illness - young children could get cancer too - Maddy decided she wanted to help.

And after two years of growing her hair to the required length, hairdresser Karoliina Saunders sat Maddy down for the chop during a school assembly.

Mum Kelli said she and dad Leon Howell were "so nervous" at the time.

"Leon kept interrupting the hairdresser before she started, asking if things were right or not.

"I just think Maddy is amazing. I can't believe she went from wanting to look like Rapunzel to suddenly wanting to cut it all off, after hearing about her Grampy. It's taken her two years to grow it this long and she hasn't changed her mind."

Looking at a picture of herself afterwards, Maddy said she thought her hair looked "really nice" and that she had not been scared about having it short at all.

"It felt nice, having it cut," said Maddy, who has a three-year-old sister named Boe. "When Karoliina was cutting it off the plaits were quite tight and then they were loose on my head.

"I want to grow it and do it again!"

Dad Leon said he was really happy for his daughter.

"I knew she would do it. It will definitely be easier when I wash it for her now," he said.

Maddy has raised £777 so far for The Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides real-hair wigs free of charge for seriously ill children. Both the money, and her long hair, will be sent to the organisation.

Can you help Maddy reach her £1,000 goal? Visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/madisonhowell to donate.