Quarter of hairdressers considering closing or scaling back businesses

Research finds independent salons particularly hard hit by consumer spending squeeze and rising bills

More than a quarter of hairdressers are thinking of closing sites or reducing the size of their salon as stylists struggle with high bills and fewer clients, research suggests.

Two-fifths of salon owners say they are anxious about the future, with almost a quarter struggling to pay their energy costs and one in five having to ask family and friends for financial help, according to a survey by the comparison site Uswitch.