A PEEBLES grandmother has cut her lockdown locks in a tribute to medics who cared for her after a leg amputation.

Lesley McDonald’s close shave has raised more than £1,000 for the NHS as it battles coronavirus.

With hair salons closed, Lesley’s secret was out – those dark quarantine roots revealed she was not a true blonde!

Rather than joining the list of many men and women with hair dyeing disasters and COVID-cutting nightmares, Lesley shaved hers off.

The NHS is close to Lesley’s heart, with the 54-year-old having had her lower leg amputated around four years ago after a horse-riding accident.

Despite the cause of her injury, Lesley says it was horses which "saved her” during her recovery, when she was told it was unlikely she would ever ride again.

However, defying the odds, Lesley got back in the saddle the year after her amputation and took part in the Beltane ride-out in June 2016.

And she has mounted her trusty steed and joined the cavalcade every year since.

She told us: “I guess this started me on the track to fundraising for charity. I rode on my beautiful girl Carmel and raised £700 for the soldiers with amputations and other war injuries.

“But now, with everything that is going on, I thought now was the right time to give something back to the NHS who looked after me so well, and to also thank the frontline workers who put themselves in danger every day.”

Asked why she decided to shave her hair, she replied: “I was trying to think of something I could do that would get people’s attention.

"That coupled with the fact I can’t get to the hairdresser – I just thought, yes, the hair has to go.”

With a camera recording the action, Lesley sat in her garden shaking with nerves as her new hairdresser – her husband Alan – worked the clippers through her long blonde locks.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” said Lesley.

“When Alan started and I saw my hair falling to the ground, I couldn’t quite believe I was doing it – but there was no going back.

“I think my husband secretly really enjoyed it thinking of the money we’d save with no more costly trips to the hairdressers.”

Within a matter of minutes, goldilocks had no locks.

She said: “I caught a glimpse of myself in the window of the house.

"I’ve been blonde all my life so to see it dark was the biggest shock.

"Also how cold I felt. I could see my sons Chris and Mark in me which is something I’ve not noticed before.”

In little more than a week, Lesley’s daring challenge saw donations totalling £1,035.

“The reaction from family and friends has been amazing," she said.

"The support and love they have shown me makes it all worthwhile."

Lesley's new buzz cut sends a powerful message to anyone concerned about vanity during the lockdown.

“I’ve done some crazy things in my life but this one beats them all," she said.

"As you get older these things don’t feel as important anymore, especially when something this bad is going on in the world.”

Coronavirus has brought out qualities in many people – and in Lesley’s case, it’s the brave, the bold, and the bald.

She added: “People are saying what I’ve done is so brave, but I don’t think so.

"Being a frontline worker battling this virus is brave. My hair will grow back.”

• Anyone who wishes to donate to Lesley’s NHS fundraiser can contact her via Facebook messenger.