TWO women who worked at a Llandudno salon which closed last year have been awarded more than £11,500 between them at employment tribunals.

Fay Blundell-Cureton and Sophie McIntosh both worked at Clinton James Hairdressing, which was based on Vaughan Street before it shut in June 2023 after nearly 30 years of business.

Both took Clinton James to employment tribunals, which took place in Cardiff earlier this year.

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Mrs Blundell-Cureton, 34, of Llandudno, was awarded £8,958.84, comprised of:

  • Statutory redundancy entitlement - £5,304.00
  • Statutory notice entitlement - £3,120.00.
  • Holiday pay - £534.84.

She said she had worked for Clinton James for 18 years, and was a hair stylist at the salon at the time of its closure.

Ms McIntosh, 23, of Llandudno Junction, was awarded a total of £2,766.50, which was broken into the following:

  • Statutory redundancy entitlement - £1,138.50.
  • Holiday pay - £759.00.
  • Unauthorised deductions from wages - £489.50.
  • Statutory notice entitlement - £379.50.

Speaking after the tribunals, Mrs Blundell-Cureton said her decision to take the business to a tribunal was borne out of her claims that, while pregnant, she was told by phone call that the salon would be closing two weeks later.

“I had worked there for so many years, but they refused to give me any redundancy, notice or holiday pay,” she said.

“I was the top stylist there. I was shocked; there was no ‘thanks for your loyalty’ at all for working there that long.”

Ms McIntosh had worked there for about four years as a hair stylist up to its closure, and also said she found out about the salon shutting with two weeks’ notice.

This, she said, made it feel “like it wasn’t really a big deal”.

“We were just sort of brushed off, really, and left to our own devices,” Ms McIntosh said after the results of the tribunals were published.

Mrs Blundell-Cureton said she and Ms McIntosh have both found new jobs at Jeniosa, a salon in Rhos-on-Sea, since Clinton James closed.

Last year, Clinton Parker, who owned Clinton James Hairdressing, said in a statement that he had made the decision to close the salon “with a heavy heart”.

He added last year: “The reasons being are just that we just no longer have enough stylist staff to fill such a big place and meet the commitment of what it is for the outgoings we have.

“It’s not come lightly. We’ve been open for close on 30 years, and we never felt this was going to come to this end.

“My dream was that we would pass this on to somebody else, but that has just not happened for whatever reason.”

Notice was given to have the company struck off in January, but this was then suspended a month later after an objection to this was made.

Mr Parker was approached for further comment.