A Headcorn hairdresser has revealed it is business as usual after her salon was ravaged by flames sparked by an out of control bonfire.

Liz Coppin’s Cut Above salon in the high street was one of four buildings damaged on Thursday, July 6.

The devastating fire started in the yard behind her salon, spreading to a shed and then quickly to Cut Above’s roof, wrecking its kitchen and staff room.

Mrs Coppin described the scene when she arrived: “I had a call and there was smoke coming from the back of the salon.

“There was smoke everywhere. There were around eight fire engines and the back of the salon was on fire.

“We didn’t quite realise the damage at first because there was so much smoke. The back of the building was damaged so we don’t have a staff room or a kitchen and the fire left lots of smoke damage.”

The salon was shut for four days and reopened the following Wednesday and Mrs Coppin has hailed her “amazing” staff and the close community in Headcorn.

She said: “I have been here for 30 years now. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Our clients were so patient with us rebooking them in and now we have been quite busy.

“I want to say a massive thank you to everybody. First of all my staff have been amazing and I don’t know how I would have coped without them.”

The fire started at about 4pm, when a man from a neighbouring property was burning waste in a small container.

Mrs Coppin added: “There were two other salons in Headcorn who helped us and let us use their facilities and that was fantastic.

“I would also like to say thank you to friends who have been round to help patch us up and the community who have been really kind.

“It could be a very long time before we get our staff room and kitchen back. At the moment we have set up a little camp in the back of the salon.”