A hair stylist whose customers think she is a cut above the rest is vying for support in The Northern Echo’s Best Hairdresser or Barber competition.

Hair by Edele in Sherburn Village, near Durham, was nominated by a customer who pays a visit to the salon every week.

Now news they are in the finals with a chance of being crowned winners has delighted her clients.

The salon is owned by Edele Loughran, 38, from Shotton Colliery, who has been snipping hair since she was a schoolgirl.

She said: “I used to cut my friends’ hair when I was at school. I would always have a go.

“There were some disasters but that is how you learn.

“As soon as I left school I knew it is all I wanted to do.

“I used to do a lot of perms, but don’t do them so much now, although the mullets are making a comeback.

“I still love doing hair, no matter what style, but what I really love is having the relationship with my clients.”

Edele works alongside her daughter, Leah Humble, 19, and 18-year-old Libbie Allison from Peterlee who has recently qualified as a hairdresser.

Her other daughter Ava Loughran, 14, is following in the family tradition as a Saturday girl.

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Edele has worked in the salon for ten years and owned the business for four.

She said: “We only knew about this in the paper because a client came in and said she had voted for us. That is how we found out about it. I was over the moon when I found out we had been nominated.

“When we told her we were in the final it made her day.

“Clients love the fact that they can brag about coming to the salon that has been in the paper.”