AN animal loving hairdresser is hoping to make a crop of cash for the RSPCA at his Oldbury salon.

Mark Smythe, who runs is Mark James Hair and Beauty in Church Street, wants to raise £500 for the charity’s Birmingham Animal Centre and Hospital.

Staff will be dressing up as elves and Santa is due to drop in on Saturday and Christmas Eve armed with collecting buckets.

Clients are being encouraged to have a go at fundraising challenges such as guess the name of the bear.

“We were going to dress up for Christmas and decided to make a bit more of it and raise some money for charity,” said Mr Smythe, whose sister has homed two rescue kittens – Lucky and Charm – from the RSPCA.