HE is officially still a cut above the rest – even at the age of 79.

Hampshire hairdresser Trevor Mitchell showed his cutting credentials as he took home two trophies in a prestigious hairdressing competition.

Trevor, who owns eight salons across the county, entered himself into the South of England Hairdressing Competition to encourage his staff to take part in competitions.

But he never expected that he would take home first prize, as it was his first competitions in ten years.

The talented barber had 20 minutes to show off his skills for each category. He did a bob for the ladies’ competition and a short back and sides for the men’s.

He said: “I did it to inspire them to enter competitions. So they can follow in my footsteps.

“I did not think I would win anything at all. The only thing I think I did that stood out was make the hair look tidy.

“When I went out there and took part I was shaking and I could not understand it as I had represented England sometimes. This was probably the hardest competition as it was such a long time ago since I competed.”

Trevor came to Southampton at the age of 16, and worked in Kedina Bakery in the High Street, after that he went into the Royal Hampshire Regiment in 1952.

It was there he was asked to be a barber; he had limited experience as his mother was a hairdresser.

He said: “I had to cut the rookies’ hair for two years, I was awful but I got better at it.”

After that, he opened his first shop in Woolston, which only had a mirror and a chair. But it was enough for him to build up his trade.

He first started competitions in the 1960s and he finished last in every one for the first four years, but he kept plugging away and he has not looked back since.

He then found fame in the 1970s and 1980s cutting the hair of celebrities including Saints stars Kevin Keegan and Peter Shilton and James Bond actor Sean Connery.

His talents then saw him get headhunted to train the likes of Russia, Japan and Great Britain teams in hairdressing world championships.

Trevor, who lives in Warsash, still occasionally picks up his scissors at one of his salons, but added that this might be the last time that he takes part in a competition.

Now he wants his staff to be inspired by his success, and he added: “That was the whole idea of doing it.

“The better competition work you do, the better workers you become – and you are more confident in anything you do.”