salon coronavirus conspiracy
© Liverpool EchoPolice and council officers attending Skin Kerr beauty salon in Bootle
A beauty salon denying the existence of coronavirus may be shut down after council officers found it was still displaying conspiracy posters.

Skin Kerr Aesthetics Hair & Beauty, on Aintree Road, Bootle, caused a storm of controversy this weekend when it displayed two posters in its windows declaring Covid a "bulls*** voodoo virus."

The poster, adorned with the salon logo, contained bullet points stating: "Covid Free Salon; no masks, we take cash; covid talk is banned; you can't catch what doesn't exist".

It then asked customers to "please respect the rules of the salon."

Environmental Health officers from Sefton Council visited the salon on Monday and Tuesday and said they were assured the posters would be taken down permanently and that covid rules would be observed.

However one of the posters appeared to have been stuck back up yesterday afternoon, the same day lockdown measures were tightened due to spiralling infection rates.

beauty salon conspiracy poster
© Liverpool EchoCouncil officers attending Skin Kerr beauty salon in Bootle
The council appears to have seen this as the last straw and two besuited licensing officers were pictured returning today alongside a Merseyside Police officer.

A spokeswoman for Sefton Council said: "The poster had been removed on Tuesday 8th September, and after a meeting with the owner yesterday and Sefton Council understood this was a permanent move.

"During the meeting, Environmental Health officers were also satisfied that all the measures currently required for the safe operation of the premises were in place.


Comment: Which means that the only objection the council and the police force had were posters that they didn't agree with.


"However, after reports that the poster was back on display this morning (Thursday 10th September), they returned.

"The posters in question have been seized and discussions will now take place with Sefton's Director of Public Health to instigate closure proceedings on the premises."

More than 1,100 people have died of COVID-19 in Merseyside hospitals, with many more deaths recorded in care homes and other community settings.


Comment: Excess death rates have been falling since the repeal of the lockdown, any rise is likely to be due to the reimposition of it in regional areas: Everything You Think You Know About Coronavirus...


The salon had already been subjected to a sharp backlash after proudly posting pictures of the posters on its Facebook page, which it was then forced to delete.


Comment: And so if people didn't agree with the salon, they would vote with their cash and no longer do business there, however it's likely that many people, in one way or another, agree with the salon owners stance, hence the need for the authorities to step in.


Cllr Paulette Lappin, Sefton Council's cabinet member for regulatory, compliance and corporate services, said: "It is so disappointing that at a time when we are all focused on trying to limit the spread of coronavirus in the face of rising figures across the region, the owner of this business is taking this irresponsible action that could put their customers, their colleagues and the wider community at risk.


Comment: Now they're trying to limit the 'spread' although we were told before it was to limit deaths.


"We are all working hard to prevent more stringent restrictions that would have a negative effect on all local businesses and Sefton's local economy but selfish actions like this could contribute to jeopardising those efforts."

Pictures from this lunchtime show the poster in the window while besuited council officers wearing masks speak to a woman inside.

A Merseyside Police officer can be seen stood with his back to the door.

A short-time after their visit the poster was again no longer visible.


Comment: Job done. The deployment of numerous council staff and police against a few posters must have been worth wasting citizens taxes.


When the ECHO contacted the salon earlier this week a woman stating she was the manager told a reporter she "did not wish to discuss" her views and claimed she had received threats of violence.

Under rules designed to limit the spread of the disease, hairdressers and salon staff are required to wear surgical face masks as well as clear visors.

Hairdressers and barbershops re-opened on July 4, meanwhile from August 15 all close contact beauty services, including facials and eyebrow treatments were allowed to resume.

From Monday lockdown measures are being tightened as cases spiral out of control, with the public told gatherings of more than six people are now illegal.


Comment: Cases are rising because the government has deployed mass testing, even they admit cases are primarily amongst young people who don't suffer any symptoms; moreover the virus has been repeatedly declared by health authorities as harmless to the vast majority.


Sefton Council said: "We are reminding local businesses and their customers of the importance of following the Government's COVID-19 guidance, which includes the distancing, cleaning and face-covering measures required to help keep clients and staff safe.

"For customers, this means following any of the measures in place for their protection and making sure they provide any Test and Trace information requested on arrival."