Covid: Cwmbran salon lockdown breach 'a slap in the face'

Lockdown breaches at a beauty salon are a "slap in the face" for local people, a community council chairman said.

CCTV footage showed people fleeing during a raid, while police found evidence of tanning beds in recent use and beauty treatments taking place.

The owner of Euphoria Tanning Hair and Beauty in Cwmbran, Torfaen, was hit with a £1,000 fine by Gwent Police for breaking Covid regulations.

Community council chairman Anthony Bird said residents were "outraged".

BBC Wales has approached the salon owner for a comment.

Gwent Police officers went to the premises on 16 January and saw customers entering through the front of the building.

• What are Wales' lockdown rules?

• Why do people break lockdown rules?

After nobody responded to requests to open the door, they entered and found evidence of recently-used tanning beds and beauty treatments taking place, a statement said.

CCTV footage showed eight people running out of the fire exit.

"I felt that it was quite a low blow for the town. You've got so many volunteers running around, doing amazing things. We've got communities pulling together," Mr Bird said.

"There are so many events that have been cancelled, businesses that are at risk of going under.

"And then to find that someone's not playing by the rules, they're carrying on regardless of people's health..."

Mr Bird believes the rule breaking gives an unfair reflection of the town

He said residents were "quite rightly outraged" by the rule breaking, adding: "It wasn't even as if they were trying to hide it and something so blatant is a real slap in the face to the people that have been making proper sacrifices for it.

"I think it is a very unfair reflection on the town."

Gwent Police Insp Aled George said: "Businesses who flout the regulations are behaving irresponsibly and putting the lives of their customers, staff and the wider community at risk."