YOUNG Beaminster musician and actor Jamie Isaacs, 13, was told by the director of the new show he is appearing in to cut his long locks for the part of the Artful Dodger.

And waste not want not, Beaminster School pupil Jamie decided if his ponytail had to go he might as well make the best of it and raise money for charity at the same, with £620 raised so far.

"I thought if I have my hair cut I can raise money for charity and I can be more with the part," he said.

His mum Anne has MS and is in a wheelchair and his dad Bernard suffers from heart problems so he decided to raise money the British Heart Foundation and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

A friend of his mum's has just opened a new hairdressers in Beaminster so he chose Lisa Hill of Hill & Co in Hogshill Street to do the deed.

His friends watched as 28 inches of hair got the chop. "I felt quite calm," he said. "I think my friends were more worried than I was. Quite a lot of my friends were watching and their facial expressions just said it all.

"I'm still a bit shocked, it is just setting in really."

Hairdresser Lisa said: "He did very well and pulled it together in less than two weeks. I think his parents should be very proud of him. I don't think all the money is in yet but I think the pupils at his school were very generous.

"We had quite an audience outside the shop. He had very long locks and I had to chop his ponytail off to start with. The director sent him with directions about what they wanted done."

Rising star Jamie is playing the Artful Dodger in Open House Productions' version of Oliver! at Freshwater Caravan Park, near Burton Bradstock, this week.

Performances continue today and tomorrow and a collection is also being held at the venue.