by Gerry Warren

gwarren@thekmgroup.co.uk

The owner of a fish pedicure salon says a media feeding frenzy about the claimed health risks of the treatment has taken a big bite out of his profits.

But Ric Bertora, who runs Feet Bliss in St Peter’s Street, Canterbury, says stories in national newspapers are “outrageous scaremongering”, and properly run fish spas are no threat to health.

He says takings have slumped by 50 per cent since the claims were published last week, and attributes this to customers being put off.

He said: “The Sun and Mail picked it up from a Health Protection Agency report on its website which was actually entitled 'Fish Pedicures Unlikely to Cause Infection’.

“The report clearly says the risk is very low, but under certain conditions, it might be possible for infection to occur.

“But if salons like ours are using the right practices which the HPA recommends, customers have nothing to fear. In fact, there have been no reported cases of any disease being passed on through the fish or water.”

The fish pedicure is a relatively new treatment in which clients put their feet into a tank of small fish which then proceed to nibble away painlessly at dead skin. It is said to leave customers’ feet smooth and soft.

Ric, who opened the business in February, said: “Our tanks have specially designed filtration systems and the water is constantly filtered and sterilised up to eight times an hour. The filter contains UV systems which ensure that no diseases can live in the water.

“It is our policy that no one with cuts or open wounds can use the fish spas, and all customers’ feet are pre-rinsed. The fish we use have no teeth and cannot penetrate the skin.”

He added: “We also have a beauty salon, but in these tough economic times the last thing we need is misleading reports which put customers off.”

Read more reaction in this week's Kentish Gazette, out Thursday.