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28th Jan 2021

Illegal hair salon shut down: Women attempt getaway through fire escape

Niamh Maher

It’s been a strange week.

I genuinely believed seeing the baby who thought everything was a hand sanitising station would be the low point of my week, then this story pops up. In Wales, an illegal hair salon has been shut down after a police raid in which, bizarrely, a host of women attempted an escape through a back-alley fire escape.

The shampoo was literally flying.

We know this is no laughing matter, and a genuine assault on the efforts of frontline workers and those battling the COVID-19 virus, so we’re happy to report that the owner of Euphoria Tanning Hair and Beauty, and several customers, have been fined for breaching restrictions.

According to Metro, passers-by reported that the salon in Cwmbran, Wales was open and operating despite the current UK government restrictions. Officers attended the scene and reportedly had to break in after repeated requests to gain entry were denied. The owner of the business landed a £1,000 fine, three customers were also fined, and efforts are now underway to identify those who literally legged it out the back of the salon mid-treatment.

Up to eight people were captured on CCTV making their getaway attempt. Speaking about the incident, a local councillor from the area Mandy Owen says it’s extremely “disappointing” to see this go on and that the vast majority of businesses have put measures in place to comply with the regulations. We all know how hard it is for small businesses at the moment, in particular for those who have had to close their doors. Ms. Owens said that those inside the salon knew they were breaking the law and putting themselves, others, and the NHS at risk, she added that this was not the first time this business has been targeted by police:

“This is the second time the business has been issued with a fixed penalty notice. Public protection officers issued the first fixed penalty notice in June 2020.”

I’m speculating now, but with the fines handed down, I’d venture a guess that these highlights were certainly on the more expensive side, and these customers may think twice before heading for a T-bar anytime soon.