Hairdressers: 'Not sure we could survive more restrictions'

A County Down salon owner has told Downtown Cool FM news she fears her company 'may not survive' another lockdown.

Close contact services open their doors again today (Friday) after five weeks of circuit breaker restrictions.

Salons were also closed for 12 weeks as part of the first lockdown which started in March.

Michelle Young co-owns DKY Hair in Bangor.

She told us she is concerned the salon could be forced to close again before Christmas, normally the busiest time of year:

"I'm not sure if we could survive, that's the part I'm worried about that's the part that's made me have sleepless nights.

"If I have six weeks of trading, then I can top up our bank supplies so then we're able to provide for our staff if we have another lockdown.

"Now that the UK government have stepped up and said 80% furlough will be provided until March, that gives me reassurance that if we go into another lockdown we will survive it.

"My fear is that we won't get these next six weeks."

As the Executive met for another round of talks this week, Michelle urged them to consider sending health and safety officers out for spot checks before making key decisions on certain industries.

"There's a health and safety protocol so every year someone walks in and they do a spot check, they walk around and give me a list of things that I need to improve on.

"They give you about a week to prepare for that and then they come back in to check you've taken all those things into consideration.

"We're talking about a pandemic right now, there has not been one health and safety person that has walked through that door."