Hairy Highland councillor Donnie Kerr was given a clean shave yesterday in the name of charity and showed no signs of sharing the same fate as the biblical character Samson.
While lion-slaying Samson was apparently sapped of his supernatural strength after having his locks sheared, the city servant retained his traditional political fire.
He warned that he would be “as irritating as ever” without his beard and long hair.
“People will find out at the first meeting after the recess,” councillor Kerr joked.
His dramatic makeover – beard removal and haircut – has raised much for the Carr Gomm charity which supports people with disabilities and mental health issues.
Thanking Craig Treasurer, the owner of Uppercut barber shop in the city’s Victorian Market, for the spruce up, Mr Kerr said the total amount raised through sponsorship was still being totted up but he was confident that it would be more than £300.
“Carr Gomm are a local carers’ charity who’ve done some good work with locals,” he said.
“As for the total raised, I remember I did a sponsored walk once and ended up walking even further to make sure I collected all the donations.”
Carr Gomm’s Inverness shop manager Ania Couston said: “I’m very impressed. It was very kind of Donnie to volunteer to help us.
“He’s one of our regular customers, he regularly shops for books with us. He always has a chat with the volunteers and some of the customers. He’s a great character – a kind of entertainment when he comes in.
“We knew that he had his hair cut before in aid of the hospice and this time he kindly volunteered to do it for us.”
