A Basingstoke woman couldn't believe the news when she heard that pubs and hairdressers were allowed to reopen, but beauty salons were not.

Joanne Goodman owns both the Waxworks in Church Street and the English Rose in Overton which employs 12 people between them.

She expressed her "shock and disappointment" at the Government's decision this week to allowed other businesses to open, but to keep her's closed.

"Beauty salons are by far, one of the safest and most sterile environments you can visit," she said.

"Hair salons are in open plan environments, will be touching clients and many are very small shops.

"Beauty therapists are able to take their clients directly to a room where they can be safely isolated and will be performing treatments within the same proximity as hairdressers. So where is the logic?"

With a new furlough system soon to be implemented, Joanne fears that salons across the country will be forced to make hundreds of people redundant, just to stay afloat.

And when it comes to the potential spread of the coronavirus, she says they have that covered.

"We have computer based appointment systems and we can identify any one person at anytime that attended, should they contract the virus," the 50-year-old added.

"A track and trace system that is far superior to the one that exists and we have this by default.

"We are specialists in hygiene. Everything we use and touch is sterilised between clients.

"We wash our hands before and after every client. Can hairdressers and pubs say they do the same? No.

"And certainly, how can you open pubs when you can absolutely guarantee, drunk people will be knocking in to each other and causing all sorts of issues? That makes absolutely, the least amount of sense."

She started a petition calling for the Government to allow salons like the ones she owns, to reopen. And already it has gathered nearly 200 signatures in the span of a day.

"All I ask is that this decision be reviewed as a matter of urgency," she finished.

"The livelihood of my team and my business are at stake and I am therefore, begging you for support."