HAIR-raising exploits at a Cradley Heath barbers shop netted more than £1,000 for two charities.

Xtreme Cutz co-owner hair bear Joe Ingram – known as Joey Smalls - took the plunge to lose his beard and prized perm for a joke – but the stunt proved so popular on their Facebook page he turned it into a fundraising challenge.

Customers of the High Street barbers, which he runs with brother Adam, were invited to guess the weight of his chopped locks for £1 with the chance of winning a free trim.

Eager to be a cut above the rest their family and friends launched another fundraising bid, dressing up as Disney and comic characters for shoppers to pose with for snaps in return for a donation.

The £1,100 total was split between the Blackheath branch of the Royal British Legion and Cancer Research UK.

Mr Ingram said: “I feel really good about it. We had a target of £1,000, but didn’t think we’d make it, so to smash it was great and a big thanks to Tesco for letting us do the photos there.”

The legion’s branch secretary Mark Spilsbury praised their “terrific effort” which rocketed this year’s local Poppy Appeal into the record books, with more than £17,000 raised so far.

Jean Morgan, who collected a cheque on behalf of the Wyre Forest committee of Cancer Research UK was “delighted” to receive the donation.

She said: “They are lovely people and it was a novel and brilliant fundraising effort.”

Costumes for the photo shoot at the town’s Tesco’s store were donated by an Xtreme client who runs Ajs Mascots.