After reporting how scientists were to conduct research to see if blondes really do have more fun, the South Wales Argus decided to carry out its own - slightly less sophisticated - test.

The paper sent Miss Wales - beautiful brunette Sophia Cahill - onto the streets of Newport, first with her natural hair colour and then as a blonde.

And scientists at the University of Edinburgh can save their research moneyif the Argus experiment is anything to go by.

Because 17-year-old Sophia turned far more heads (and attracted more than afew wolf-whistles) as a brunette than she did as a blonde.

Sophia said she felt "strange" as a blonde and has no long-term plans to change her look.

"Anyway," she said, "dark hair is coming back into fashion now with women like Catherine Zeta Jones and that dark, Mediterranean look."

The Edinburgh research was aimed at discovering why skin reacts differently to sunshine depending on hair colour, and whether there are any advantages tohaving blonde hair.

In Sophia's case, the answer to the second poser at least is a very resounding "no".

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