A salon which was gutted by a huge blaze a year ago is finally set to be rebuilt.

The once-thriving Beauty Spot in West Street was burned to the ground on Tuesday, March 8 2016, when flames ripped through the building.

The shell of a property has been left for months – until now.

Owner Trina Chalmers-Taylor moved her business to the Alexander Centre in Preston Street within days of the blaze, taking what little she had left with her.

This week, she finally has a date for when they can move back to West Street.

She said: “I am in meetings with the builders and architects at the moment and work should be started on March 13, all being well.

“We hope and plan to get the Beauty Spot back up and running in West Street by June.

“The hold-up has been due to fire recovery, settling of the building, ripping out the inside, insurance and planning.”

Six fire crews attended the salon early in the morning on that fateful day.

And what Trina first saw as she arrived that day will stay with her for ever, she says.

Thomas Road and West Street were cordoned off and nearby residents were warned to keep their windows and doors tightly closed.

An investigation thought an electrical fault was to blame but this later turned out to be inconclusive.

Trina’s business, which she grew from a tiny room to a sought-after salon in the heart of the town, had been obliterated.

At the time, she said: “When I first walked into the salon, all I could see was black and water everywhere.

“In one part of the building, there is a hole which goes through the ceiling and through the roof so you can see the sky. A lot of the floor is gone.

“We got as much out of the shop as possible but a lot of it is destroyed, smoke damaged or melted. This year has felt like a lifetime for the Beauty Spot team.

“We are very excited to be returning to West Street in the summer and show our newly- designed beauty salon.

“We will be eternally grateful to the Alexander Centre for allowing us to continue trading over this time.”

Anyone interested in the re-opening can follow Beauty Spot Clinic’s progress on Facebook by clicking here.