A talented young footballer was so badly bullied for his 'feminine' waist-length hair that he chopped off ten inches and dropped out of his club.

Maxx Cordy, 11, had been growing his curly hair since he was four-years-old, but finally ordered his mother to cut it after enduring constant taunts and name calling at his school in Somerset.

The inspirational youngster - who is still tormented for his shoulder-length bob - has turned his misery into something positive by donating his hair to child cancer patients.

Maxx Cordy was tormented so harshly by bullies for his 'feminine' waist-length hair (left) that he decided to have his locks chopped off (right) and has since dropped out of his club

Maxx's mum Alisha said her son was singled out by tormenters at school and his football club, who said his long hair made him look feminine.

'He came to the conclusion to cut it off after just another day at football and kids treating him differently,' she said.

'He was so fed up.

'I cut ten inches off and it's still at shoulder length now. He cried after he had it done because he felt like he'd done the wrong thing. He just wants to be himself.'

Maxx has donated his shorn curly locks to the Little Princess Trust, which provides wigs made of real hair to child cancer patients.

But cutting his hair didn't stop the bullying - Maxx was still targeted for his shoulder length bob, and has spent break times hiding in class rooms to escape playground taunts at Wellesley Park Primary School in Wellington, Somerset.

Maxx eventually quit his football team and changed classes at school.

The inspirational youngster turned his misery into something positive by donating his hair to child cancer patients

'People would see his long hair and say that he must be a girl,' Alisha said.

'You meet people in the street and they come up and say is this your daughter, and when you say: "No, it's my son" - they look at you as if to say "you're joking?".

Maxx put up with constant name calling but the abuse finally took its toll last month and he ordered his mum to cut ten inches off

Maxx wrote a heartfelt email to his football coaching staff to tell them of his ordeal.

A spokesman for Exeter City said that when the email came in from Maxx parents the coaches at the Bridgwater development centre responded the following day.

The club also said that a new coach has recently taken over the running of the Bridgwater Development Centre and he has tried his best to deal with the incident as quickly and as appropriately as possible and, having made the issue a matter of priority, hopes that Maxx will return.

Maxx was a member of the Bridgwater Development Centre and therefore not a registered player with Exeter City FC Academy club.

The club has ten Development Centres dotted around the south-west, above that is the club's Performance Centre and then if good enough players move into the Academy.

Exeter City FC Academy manager Simon Hayward, said: 'This is the first time I have been made aware of the incident, but I will be investigating it immediately as we take all allegations of this kind very seriously.

'We want all the young players in our care to be happy, safe and enjoying their football.

'Our top priority is developing a positive learning environment for players to develop socially as well as with their football skills and we will immediately look into what it is that has gone on.'

His mother Alisha said: 'People would see his long hair and say that he must be a girl'

Maxx's parents say they recently had a meeting with his school and a decision was taken to move him to a different class.

A Wellesley Park Primary spokesperson said: 'Bullying is rare. Pupils say "our school teaches us about bullying but it doesn't happen here".

'Academy records of behaviour confirm that behaviour is improving, that bullying happens infrequently and is firmly dealt with.