A SALON owner was happy to get her hair wet for once when it meant raising �1,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Claire Evans, who runs Talkin’ Heads, in Backwell, took the plunge and swam 100 lengths of Weston’s Hutton Moor Leisure Centre pool during a charity swimathon.

The 49-year-old, who owns the hair salon with husband Barry, said she was ‘chuffed to bits’ after her customers rallied round to sponsor her.

She said: “The charity has touched so many people’s lives and has helped some of the salon’s clients in the past.

“I can’t quite believe how much money has been raised – it’s a fantastic amount.”

The step-mother and step-grandmother, is a keen swimmer but has never competed in anything other than Cancer Research’s Race For Life before.

She added: “I swim every week and manage between 50 and 60 lengths, so to complete double that was quite a challenge.

“But I couldn’t have lived with myself if I hadn’t done it after saying I would.”