MORE than £5,000 has been raised for a specialist cancer treatment centre after a pair of best friends affected by the disease had their heads shaved by Warrington Wolves prop Ashton Sims.

The Fiji forward was behind the clippers when pals Lorraine Nolan and Gill Burns braved the shave at the Hair Shop in Westbrook.

Hairdresser Lorraine battled the disease three years ago while Gill’s husband also had cancer, with both treated at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Their hairoic efforts have so far raised a total of £5,549.41 for the Birkenhead treatment centre.

Lorraine said: “Gill and I have both had personal experience of the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and we know how much they do for people with cancer and also their families – we need to help as much as we can.”

Gill added: “It’s just heart-breaking when you go to Clatterbridge and you see some children who’ve lost their hair – some people aren’t lucky enough to have a choice but we do.”

The centre’s fundraising manager Jeni Nugent praised Lorraine and Gill’s positivity.

She said: “It’s been a real pleasure to work with Lorraine and Gill in the build up to the event – they’ve both been really positive and focussed on raising as much money as they can.

“Having the support of Ashton Sims was an added bonus to make the day even more memorable for them both.

“The £5,449.41 the ladies have raised will allow us to fund vital cancer research, help provide the best possible care and improve the experience of our patients, for example by providing wigs to ladies experiencing hair loss due to chemotherapy.

“It is thank to the dedication and commitment of people like Gill and Lorraine that we will be able to embark on a journey to change cancer care for the better.”

To donate go to justgiving.com/fundraising/gillian-burns1 or justgiving.com/fundraising/lorraine-nolan1.