A Romsey hairdresser has almost certainly saved the life of a customer by spotting a potentially deadly mole while she styled her hair.

Louise James spotted the mole on the scalp of regular customer, Jane Rode, during her monthly appointment at the salon in Victoria Place.

"I just saw this very small spot," said Louise. "It was very dark and was very slightly risen and I just had a feeling it was not right.

"I knew I had to tell Jane about it straight away. She has been coming here for a long time and I know her very well," said Louise.

Jane, a market research telephone centre manager, who lives at Marchwood, contacted her GP at the Testvale Surgery at Totton.

The mole was diagnosed as "a malignant melanoma" and was immediately removed.

Last Thursday, she went to the Royal South Hants Hospital for routine follow-up and was given the startling news as to just how serious the mole was.

"They told me that if nothing had been done about it within three months, it would have been fatal," said Jane.

"That doesn't mean I would have died within three months, but there would have been no way back, because there would have been so many cancer cells in my body.

"I come to Romsey because Louise is such a good hairdresser, but now I am so grateful and I feel that by spotting it and telling me about it, she has probably saved my life," said Jane, 57, who has two grown-up children and three grandchildren.

And her equally grateful husband, Graham, echoed: "Louise always does Jane's hair beautifully - this time, it seems that she may have saved her life, too."

A member of the New Forest Community Church, Jane has remained at ease throughout what for most people would have been a frightening ordeal. "I just trust God and I know he loves me. I've never had a moment's doubt about that."

She also saw the funny side of things when the area surrounding the mole was being taken away last Thursday.

"When they were doing the stitching, I felt something on the side of my face tighten up and I thought 'Oh, this is good, they're giving me a face lift as well," she said.

Jane has been told by specialist Doctor Ashley Cooper, at the RSH dermatology unit, that such cancers in the scalp are extremely rare and that, although the mole was only three millimetres wide and half a millimetre deep, it was likely it would have been fatal if left untreated for three months.

Both Jane and Louise are hoping this incident will lead to more awareness among hairdressers and that further lives might be saved. "This has got to be the best day's work I've ever done," said Louise, "It has given me a real lift. I was so shocked when Jane phoned me and told me what they had found, but now I feel so pleased that it meant she was able to get the treatment she needed.

"She is a friend as well as a customer, but when ever I am cutting anyone's hair from now on, I think I will be looking a bit more closely. "I have been in the business for 20 years and I have never come across this before," said Louise, a former British junior hairdressing champion who was trained by Trevor Mitchell.

Louise's customers include Romsey MP Sandra Gidley, who said: "This is just a great testament to Louise.

"She actually suggested that Jane should get it checked and it shows the value of having a good and caring hairdresser. So I would suggest to anyone that if their hairdresser tells them something, they should treat it as very sound advice and get it checked out.

"It might also be worthwhile for the Department of Health to send out a friendly message to hairdressers suggesting that they should perhaps keep an eye open for this kind of thing."

Ironically, the discovery of Jane's mole came just a few weeks before a special Mole Watch Day which is being held at Marks & Spencer in Southampton's WestQuay shopping centre on Wednesday (9.30am to 4.30pm). Skin cancer and dermatology specialists will be on hand to inspect moles.