Police officers in Chippenham will be feeling the cold this week after shaving their heads in support of colleague PC Mel Neal who is about to undergo brain surgery.

Members of Chippenham’s Neighbourhood Police Team had their heads shaved on Tuesday to help raise money for charity Cavernoma Alliance UK.

Miss Neal, 31, a police officer in Chippenham, has to have her head shaved ahead of an operation to remove a rare growth on her brain, while she is awake.

Nearly £7,000 has been raised so far and the hair is being donated to the Little Princess Trust which supports children with cancer.

Miss Neal said: “It’s amazing. Everyone has done their own fundraising, baking cakes or wearing silly shoes – it’s just been incredible.

“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has donated. I’m really grateful for everything people have done.”

All the officers involved, including Inspector Chris Martin and Sergeants Andy Bevan and Louis McCoy, wore #evictcuthbert T-shirts as they went under the razor.

Cuthbert is the nickname given to Miss Neal’s cavernova, a collection of abnormal blood vessels that are not cancerous but can cause epileptic seizures or stroke.

PC Hayley Hardie, who came up with the idea, said: “Thank goodness that’s over. At the Christmas do we just thought what if we shaved our heads and raised some money and it’s gone from there. It’s amazing.”

Miss Neal’s eight-hour operation will take place at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital in the next few weeks. Her fiancé Tim Harris and sister Emma, who had the same operation two years ago, also shaved their heads.

Twitter users can follow Miss Neal’s progress @EvictCuthbert and you can donate at www.justgiving.com/hayley-hardie2