A SOUTHAMPTON barber has scooped second prize in a national competition.

Claire Heenan, of Equinox Gentleman’s Refinery Male Grooming Salon, in Oxford Street, was selected to be in the finals of the first UK Barber Battle, which made its debut at Barber Connect 2015, in Wales, at the end of June.

Claire, who competed against more than 100 other British barbers and was judged by some of the highest industry names, was selected to battle in a live head-to-head against two other talented barbers in the UK Barber Battle Competition Final – one of the largest gatherings of barbering talent worldwide.

The event was held by the British Master Barbers Alliance, an organisation dedicated to raising standards and promoting the best of British barbering, and the finalists of this high pressure time limited competition were asked to complete a full haircut matching a particular criteria set by the organisers. Claire had 45 minutes to complete the haircut and the cut was judged by ambassadors of the British Master Barbers.

Kerri Beale, owner of Equinox, said: "This is an amazing achievement that has been very hard earned. I am very proud of what Equinox have been archiving. I train all of my own staff to the best of my ability and I am so proud of them. Our apprentice Ian McCreery also came in the top 3 for National Apprentice of the Year Awards.

“We have been in the finals of the National British Barbers Competition for the last four years and placed. And This year, three of us at the shop were all finalists. I was placed third in the Creative Master Barber Competition, Claire Heenan came fourth and my apprentice came second in the Student Styling Competition. We’re bringing the medals home for Southampton.”