KAREN Rossiter raised a fantastic £2,440.20 for Taunton-based cancer charity Somerset Unit for Radiotherapy Equipment by having her head shaved at Bar 27, Bridgwater.

It was among £3,592.61 donated last week to SURE, which equips the Beacon Centre cancer unit at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital, taking the total raised since it linked up with the County Gazette to £627,635.88.

Collections of 5p coins included £24.55 from Jean Manley and friends from Long Load, Chard, Ilminster and Fivehead; £7.90 from Bernard Spilsbury, of Burnham-on-Sea; and £57.70 from Mrs Setter and friends of Taunton.

There was also £73.17 from Linda Woods, of Burnham, which included £9.07 in 5ps; £92.34 from Teares newsagents, Wellington, which included £43 in 5ps; and £85.10 from the collection pots at the Rumwell Farm Shop, and £280.11 from the Beacon Centre, mostly in 5ps.

A collection pot at Pyrland Farm Shop, Taunton, contained £10.38; Hazel Hughes gave £2.53; there was an anonymous donation of £2.70; and £35 from Derek and Sheila Cleeve's cream teas.

A £50 donation was made by Skilgate Line Dancers; there was £36.44 in the collection pots at Tesco Express, North Petherton; and £7.49 from the collection pot at the Crusty Cob Bakery, Burnham.

A bucket collection at Sanders (Wyevale) Garden Centre, Burnham, totalled £267.60; £18.51 was collected at Trull Stores, £18.52 at the Constitutional Club, Bishop's Hull, £62.37 at Taunton Garden Centre, and a donation of £20 from Paul Martin of Wedmore.