WITH her long golden hair, British schoolgirl Katy White could be Wales’ answer to fairytale heroine Rapunzel.

    White, a pupil at Amman Valley Comprehensive, isn’t short of admirers, who stop her to marvel at the length of her hair — which is almost the same height as her.

    White is 1.5 meter tall and her hair, which flows to the back of her knees, 1 meter.

    In her 12 year life she has only had her hair cut three times (apart from the time she cut her own fringe).

    “There was a time, when Katy was about 6, when she decided to cut two big chunks out of the front of her hair,” said mother Barbara.

    “I saw the hair in the bin and assumed Katy had thrown a doll away. When I pulled the hair out I turned around and saw that Katy had two huge steps in the front of her hair. Apart from that she’s only ever had it trimmed at the hairdressers, and only three times.”

    But as well as attracting admirers, White’s hair also creates it own problems.

    “It may be beautiful but it can also be pretty deadly,” said Barbara. “She practices the martial art Choi Kwang Do, and the problem is that when she spins, her hair whips round, and people have to move out of the way. It’s like a secret weapon.”

    On average, White’s hair takes an hour to wash and just as long to dry. “People stop me to ask about my hair all the time, I’m used to it now,” said White.

    “I can’t imagine having it cut, although I do have it tied back most of the time, especially when I’m in school.”

    Despite its head-turning capabilities, a spokesperson from the Guinness World Record said White’s hair is not yet record-breaking but added: “That is some long hair for a girl of her age.”

    Asha Mandela and her 16.76-meter-long dreadlocks currently hold the world title.

    (SD-Agencies)