A NAIL salon owner in Milford Haven has written a letter to MP Stephen Crabb asking him for his support for close-contact businesses and warned that they may face closure.

The Amber Boutique, based on Charles Street, has been closed since March 23 because of the coronavirus lockdown, and is now, like many other close-contact businesses, waiting to be told when it can re-open.

Many hairdressers have started to re-open with social distancing rules being put in place, something that has also been done at the Amber Boutique.

Owner Sally Sanderson has explained in her letter to Mr Crabb that she has had to spend over £1,000 on getting her salon ready to re-open.

That includes obtaining visors for customers and nail technicians, installing extra hand-washing points and developing an online consultation form, designed to minimise face-to-face time with clients.

It had been suggested in the UK Parliament that all salons should be allowed to re-open but that idea was laughed at by some of the MPs present.

Sally added that the response was a ‘massive slap in the face’ and that the time spent preparing to re-open was not a laughing matter.

“To be guffawed at in parliament is infuriating to me. The time spent preparing for us to finally start continuing our services has not been a laughing matter and we have spent many hours educating ourselves.

“I would hazard a guess that in fact we have spent far longer than many businesses who are now allowed to open and are not doing what they can to observe social distancing rules.

“Yet all of this may have been in vain if we do not get the extra support that is proportionate to the amount of time we have had to remain closed” she said.

Sally went on to say that she, and possibly many other services, are at a ‘huge risk’ of having to close unless they were given sincere consideration.

The letter concludes by asking Mr Crabb to represent all close-contact businesses that are ready to open in the county.

An online petition, that has been posted by Alanah Jade Eyelash extension specialist, also based in Milford Haven, calling for all beauty salons and similar businesses to be re-opened has had over 57,000 signatures.

Mr Crabb has not yet responded to the letter.