A HAIR salon has been ruined after being affected by a fire in the flat above which was suspected as being used as a cannabis farm.

Beau Hair and Beauty on Keighley Road, Steeton, will be closed for a couple of months after being damaged by the blaze in the early hours on Christmas Eve, the busiest day of the year for the business.

The owners had to use one of their own kitchens to look after clients.

Sharon Atkinson, who runs the salon with Kelly Varley and Ebony Metcalfe, said: “It’s totally demolished our premises.

“The cannabis farm had nothing to do with us.

“It’s very inconvenient today. It’s out busiest day of the year.”

She said the local community had been wonderful and had rallied round with offers of help when they heard about the blaze.

She added: “Residents and villagers have been fantastic.

“We are getting by in the kitchen of one of our staff.

“The clients have been great.”

She said the salon would be out of action for a couple of months definitely.

“It will be well into the New Year.”

She said what made the fire even more heart-breaking was that the salon had only just been totally redecorated six weeks ago.

The building is on the corner of the Keighley Road and Station Road crossroads in the centre of the village

She said that neither they nor the landlord of the building were aware that the two-floor flat above the hairdressers was being used to grow cannabis.

The flat above the hairdressers was badly damaged in the fire.

Firefighters said they were called to the blaze in the domestic property at 1.13 on Christmas Eve.

A police spokesman said that a male had been arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis and enquiries were continuing into the incident.

Smoke was issuing from the roof when crews from Keighley fire station arrived and gained entry.

They used four sets of breathing apparatus and two hose reels to extinguish the fire and a fan to clear the smoke.

A fire station spokesman said the flat was being used to cultivate cannabis and the cause of the fire was under investigation.

He said a neighbour was alerted by a smoke alarm and they called the emergency services.

The property was extensively damaged and he said firefighters did their best to limit the damage to the hair business below but he said the salon would be badly affected.

Police were at the scene investigating the cause.

A fire crew from Bingley also attended the incident.