A NEWPORT publican had the initials of a rival team shaved on his head as part of a charity fundraising event.

Southampton FC supporter Simon Cant, co-owner of The Castle Inn, had PFC, the initials of Portsmouth FC, written on his head before his hair was shaved off.

Simon raised nearly £750 for pre-eclampsia, a condition which affects some pregnant women, which can lead to serious complications for mother and baby.

He said: "I'm a big Saints fans but some friends said they would give me an extra £50 for the charity if I had PFC written on my head. It was definitely the worst part of a great evening.

"I decided on this particular charity because my wife suffered from it and a friend's mother was running the London Marathon to raise funds for it as well.

"It was a fantastic night. We donated 50p from each dessert and 10p from each pint sold to the charity and made another £270 from the raffle.

"We also had a quiz and karaoke, with Dave Wiltshere, who donated his fee to the charity.

"My friend Shanel Baker from Taking It Back mobile hair barbers did the shaving."

The same week, the staff of the Castle Inn celebrated St Georges Day, and used the occasion to raise funds for the Island Games swimming team.

Jake Williams, who is taking part in the games in Gibralta in July, helped with the event.

The pub was decked out with St George's Day flags and also the flags of the islands taking part in the games.

A three-course meal was based on a traditional English dinner, and a raffle was held. The event raised £649.