Ipswich MP Tom Hunt is steeling himself for a close shave this week to bring his “unruly” lockdown hair under control - and raise thousands of pounds for Age UK Suffolk in the process.

Mr Hunt hasn’t had a haircut since early February and like, millions of others during the Covid-19 crisis, his hair is now showing serious signs of growing out of control.

He is planning to “Brave the Shave” as soon as a pair of clippers he orders arrives later this week – and is asking people to sponsor his new look.

He said he wasn’t planning to go for the full skinhead look – but was expecting his hair to be shorter than it had been since he was a child. He said: “I’m going for a number three look I think - it’s become very unruly. Normally I go to the hairdresser every two months, but I haven’t been since February and it’s looking really untidy.

“I thought I’d try to get sponsorship for Age UK because they’re doing a great job and, like a lot of charities, they have been hit hard at the moment.”

Mr Hunt has set himself a target of raising £2,000 for the charity. At present, his total pledges stand at about £500. If you want to pledge a donation, visit here.