Hair salon with same ‘Quinn’ name as Magna Carta hairdresser receives staggering amounts of abuse as Quinn Blakey hairdressing opened during lockdown

The owner of Quinn Blakey Hairdressing, in Oakenshaw, has been fined £17,000 so far after defying lockdown rules and remaining open but Quinn Hair and Beauty salon, in Wyke, has followed rules and closed during lockdown.

Due to the similarity in names, the owners of Quinn Hair and Beauty have received a wrath of abuse on social media with people mistaking their salon for the one which has stayed open.

Owner of Quinn Hair and Beauty, Michael Quinn, said: “My wife who co-owns the salon is getting message after message after message telling us how horrible we are for staying open.

“In reality, we’re doing our part by following the rules and closing during lockdown.

“It’s just so unfair as the knock on effects we might receive later down the line of people not coming to us because they think we opened during lockdown will be tough.”

Michael and wife Nicky have responded to some messages setting the record straight, but have received no apologies from those who have wrongly abused them.

Michael added: “Even people in Wolverhampton have messaged us criticising us and I can’t understand what it’s got to do with people that far away.

“What’s worse, people who actually know us have been messaging us asking why we’re open.

“Don’t get me wrong we can take it on the chin as we know we aren’t doing anything wrong but people are so quick to jump on the bandwagon and hurl abuse.”

One of the messages the salon received called the owners ‘scummy’.

The owner of the Wyke salon does think it’s generally unfair that all hairdressers have had to close but said “he can’t complain and just has to get on with it like everybody else.”

Quinn Blakey Hairdressing, in Bradford, made the decision to open during lockdown and refused to close when asked by the police.

The owner of the hair salon has been issued with fines totalling £17,000 after remaining open during the current lockdown.

A Kirklees council spokesperson said the owner was issued with a £1,000 fine on November 9, a £2,000 fine on November 12, a £4,000 fine on November 21, and a £10,000 fine on November 23.

The council also said that West Yorkshire Police did not see customers present on its visit to the premises on November 24 so the second £10,000 fine they had originally issued for that day has now been withdrawn.

The Quinn Blakey owner tried to use the Magna Carta as a reason for staying open.

The letter on the door referring to the 1215 document said: “Under Article 61 of Magna Carta 1215 we have a right to enter into lawful dissent if we feel we are being governed unjustly.

“Contrary to common belief, our sovereign and her government are only there to govern us and not rule us.

“This must be done within the constraint of our common law and the freedoms asserted to us by such law. Nothing can become law in this country if it falls outside of this simple constraint.

“I am not under any obligation, nor will I, answer any questions or give you any details. I am a living persons and statutory regulations only apply with my consent.”

The letter continued to demand proof for eight different clauses before Quinn Blakey Hairdressing salon said they would agree to close.

A post on the Quinn Blakey Hairdressing Instagram account on November 5 reads: “Lockdown Day 1. I earned this week’s rent today, not sure where I would be pulling that money from given the Government want self-employed business people to wait six weeks for a payment.

“I still have mortgage, bills, childcare fees, food, car, insurance etc, not to mention the overheads for the shop.

“If we give up now, I can categorically guarantee your small businesses will not survive this lockdown – given it’s not going to be four weeks.

“Like I said before, this is more than just having a business and an income, this is my children’s future and that’s more important to me than anything.”

A number of videos posted on the page show the owner of the salon speaking to council and police officers through the locked door of the shop.

She is heard telling them she does “not consent” to being fined and that she is “standing under common law”.

One council officer tells the woman the authority could get a warrant to close down the salon if she continued to operate during lockdown restrictions.

On Tuesday, the owner posted a photograph and footage of a police car parked near her shop, with the comment “police stalking me now”.

In a statement, the council spokeswoman said the authority understood how difficult it had been for businesses and it would continue to support them through this “devastating period”, but added that everyone must follow Covid-19 rules and guidance.

She said: “The law set by the Government is there so we can bring infection rates down, ease pressure on our health services and save lives.

“But it only works if we all stick to it and realise that no-one is above the law. Frankly, the actions taken by this business are selfish and irresponsible.

“We will not hesitate to take action on anyone who breaches the rules that are in place to keep us all safe. Repeated breaches of Covid-19 regulations result in ever-increasing fines up to £10,000 and eventually prosecution.”

The council said Kirklees has the fifth highest rate of infection in the country, with 135 people admitted to hospital last week and 25 Covid-19-related deaths.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has made numerous attempts to contact Quinn Blakey Hairdressing.