Back street barbers told to cut it out after brush with law; SNEAKY SNIPPERS SLAPPED WITH A WARNING.

Byline: Ian Johnson Reporter ian.johnson01@reachplc.com @IANJOHNSONCHRON

COUNCILS have hit barbers in Sunderland and Durham with warnings after allegedly offering haircuts - despite being banned from doing so.

A warning to stop cutting people's overgrown locks was issued after Durham County Council received "community intelligence" that someone was giving haircuts from a house in Murton.

Barbers and hairdressers have been closed since Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent Britain into lockdown back in March to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

However, there have been reports nationally of a 'barber black market' emerging, with people in desperate need of a trim flouting social distancing rules.

Now, in County Durham, a Freedom of Information request to the council has revealed that a written warning was sent to a private address at Station Estate South, in Murton, requesting it stops cutting hair.

It is understood officers at Durham Constabulary were even involved in the discussions over what action would be taken before the warning was sent on April 27.

The council said it has since not been made aware of any further incidents of supposed non-compliance at the address.

However, the home wasn't the only place where you could allegedly get your 'lockdown locks' trimmed.

Sunderland City Council has also revealed it issued a pair of prohibition notices to premises relating to "hairdressing activity" during lockdown.

However the authority has refused to name them, stating it "may prejudice any court proceedings the Council may elect to pursue".

It was recently revealed that at least a dozen other warnings have so far been issued to County Durham firms accused of not playing by the lockdown rules.

They include takeaways, pubs and even a charity shop.

And a legitimate barber shop was also among the firms warned by the council over breaching the lockdown.

It also recently emerged that police were called to the five-star Ramside Hall in April after guests were found to be staying there in lockdown.

The Government ordered all nonessential firms to close from March 23. Lockdown restrictions were eased last week, when the Government swapped its 'stay home' messaged to 'stay alert.'.

As expected, some of the toughest restrictions on being able to go outside for exercise were lifted.

Hairdressers and beauty salons won't be allowed to open until July at the earliest, but dates are dependent on the rate of infection continuing to fall in the UK, as well as the number of deaths.