A YOUNG mother has set up a beauty salon in the Dolphin Centre, in Darlington.

Nicola Nugent has just launched her venture, called Perfections, which is a top-of-the-range salon hidden away at the back of the leisure centre.

Nicola, who started her career as a Saturday girl in a hotel beauty salon, offers a variety of health and beauty treatments, including facials, manicures and massages.

As well as providing one-off treatments, Nicola hopes to develop special pamper days for clients who want to get away from it all and treat themselves to something really special.

Her partner, Christopher Cooke, designed the new studio.

Although there are still some finishing touches to be made, she is already getting requests from people eager to try out the treatments on offer.

Nicola is now juggling her new business with caring for her son, Samuel, four.

Nicola, 26, said: "I have been in business myself for about a year, working from a hairdressers, but when the chance to move to the Dolphin Centre came up I jumped at it.

"It is an ideal location in the town centre. And it is also great to be linked with a health and sport facility.

"I have brought some of my old clients with me, but I am also getting interest from people who use the centre. It has been really busy since we opened."

The salon space became available when Darlington Borough Council, which runs the leisure facility, decided to close the saunas at the Dolphin Centre because they were under-used.

Nicola said: "I could tell the space had potential, so wanted to snap it up before anyone else did. We have managed to create a really spacious and stylish area."

For information about Perfections' services call 07733 328312.