'Please help me shave off this monstrosity' pleads bearded dad from Milton Keynes

Caring Rob Lodge started growing the beard directly after his father John lost his battle against Leukaemia six months ago. He vowed he would not shave again until he had raised £10,000 for the cancer-fighting charity, Bloodwise.

Today he is just £3,000 short of his target – and desperate to shed the beard.

“Quite frankly it's getting out of control and I'd like to see my chin again,” he said.

Rob, 40, has deliberately let the beard grow wild and has refused to even trim it until his target is reached.

“I can't say I enjoy having it. I'm not a very extrovert person, yet everywhere I go I'm attracting attention. I can't walk down the street making comments about my beard!” he said.

Eating and drinking have turned into a major embarrassment and Rob frequently finds chunks of his lunch hidden in the fuzz.

“I've resorted to drinking my coffee from cups with lids, because it's just too messy otherwise,” he said.

Rob's wife Susie hates the beard and his middle daughter, who is four, makes daily requests for him to shave it off.

A marketing director from Stony Stratford, Rob has lined up a local barber to do the honours as soon as the £10,000 target is reached.

“But one person donated £250 to my fund on the condition that I only shaved half my face for the first 24 hours – and appeared in public with half a beard. It was an offer too good to refuse,” said Rob.

His family has help with the fundraising and has organised a charity auction and other events.

Now Rob is urging people to help him on the final stretch to help Bloodwise.

The charity has been working to beat blood cancer since 1960. It fund world-class research and offer expert information and support to anyone affected by leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancer related disorders.

You can donate here.

> Is Rob's beard the biggest in Milton Keynes? If you can beat it, please let us know.