Mobility scooter rider gets rid of beloved 'tache for charity

A mobility scooter user hopes to raise £1,000 for his local church – by having his moustache of 45 years shorn off.

John Spence, who has cerebral palsy, is raising cash for the refurbishment of St Matthew's Church of Scotland, of which he is an elder, the Perthshire Advertiser reports.

He has already secured £600, but wants to raise more.

Mr Spence told the newspaper that since his condition limited him from doing something like a charity walk, he decided to offer to shave his moustache, which he says he is "very attached to".

"St Matthew's Church has given me love and acceptance, and many, many friends, lots to do, and it is very dear to my heart," he told the newspaper.

Mr Spence will dispense with his moustache at an organised lunch at the church.

Last Christmas, the church, which has a congregation of around 300 people, developed a beer, St Matthew's Ale, to help its fundraising activities.