A group of eight teenagers has rallied around in support of one of their friend's mums currently undergoing cancer treatment and raised well over £1,000 in the process.

Last Friday eight Mullion School boys had all their hair shaved off over lunchtime, to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Among them was Oli Foreman, whose mum Jo has lost her hair through treatment for Hodgkin's Lymphoma after being diagnosed last September. He decided he wanted to support her by shaving his head also and try to raise some money for a charity supporting other cancer patients in the process.

His friends were quick to back him and last week Ben Harvey, Rowan Lawrence, Harry Walsh Newton, Josh Nicoll, Jackson Cardnell, Ciaran Blakely-Lassalle and Joe Tanswell joined Oli in the challenge.

Jo, who lives in Manaccan and is a teaching assistant at the village primary school, said: "They are amazing. For Oli, his hair is very much a part of him, as with many 15-year-old boys. It's absolutely amazing that he and his friends have done this. I'm very proud of them all."

Five of the teenagers, including Oli, are in year ten at the school, with Oli, Josh, Jackson and Joe also playing rugby together for Penryn Under 16s.

Harrison is Jo's 13-year-old nephew, who took part in the shave with two of his friends in year eight.

"The boys have just been amazing. You can tell who his friends are," said Jo, who added: "They look very different. I don't think Oli likes it very much - he keeps wearing a hat!"

She said staff at the school also fully backed the fundraising, with teachers taking it in turns to shave the boys' heads.

The boys have already more than doubled their target, by raising more than £1,000 in online donations alone, with money still to be counted from sponsorship forms and collection pots.