Rushden 'mo' man's hair-brained bare-faced fundraiser

Mike Valentine has previously supported Movember, a charity fundraiser which men are sponsored to grow moustaches during November.

Previous efforts saw Mike, 35, grow a traditional mo followed by a monkey tail design - a sideburn, chin to lip swirl of styled stubble - but this year to encourage more donations he chose to shave only half his face for a month.

Sales manager Mike said: "I started doing Movember a few years ago and I grew moustache - I was appalled by the result and so was my partner at the time.

"That became quite normal so the next year I tried a monkey tail design which went well. I found it funny.

"I don't do things in the normal way so this year I looked around for another design and came up with the half and half. Half clean shaven and half growing.

"It seemed like a good idea but I didn't realise how people would look at me, in the chippy, in shops. They would look at me and do a double-take and say 'what have you done to yourm face?' and another lady asked if my razor had broken.

"If people laughed at me I told them about Movember and asked them to donate. It became a bit of a talking point and even if they didn't donate it raised awareness and spread the word."

Mike and his five colleagues from Pico Technology banded together under the name 'Pico Blinders' so far raising £622.

He said: "I had to give a presentation to the board of directors, I did think perhaps I could do it side on the whole way through but then had to tackle it head on. My first silde was about Movember.

"I was really looking forward to December 1 and getting rid of it but I don't know how I'm going to top it.

"I'd like to thank everyone who donated and to all the 'mo bros' for giving it a go."

To donate to Mike's Movember fundraising total please click here.