A STYLIST is celebrating after being named the UK's favourite hairdresser.

Joanne Catley, 34, of Pendle Street, Barrowford, did not know that one of her clients, Vikki Smith, had entered her name into the Head and Shoulders Nation's Favourite Hairdresser competition until just two weeks before she was told she had been picked as one of the eight finalists out of more than 5,000 hopefuls.

She headed to the Wella studios in London for the final head-to-head, styling Vikki's hair against the clock, and on Wednesday she was back in the capital being photographed with her fellow finalists for double-page feature in the Cosmopolitan magazine.

Her winning style - a bob designed to keep Vikki's hair manageable as she grows her locks - gained the pair £1,000 and a year's supply of hair products each. Joanne will also have a pair of crystal-inlaid scissors custom-made for her.

The married mum-of-one has been a hairdresser for 16 years, and has worked at the Julie Holmes salon in Earby for 14 years.

She said: "I wasn't expecting to win at all because everybody was absolutely brilliant, and it was the first time I'd ever done it so I was really nervous.

"I have a lot of really great clients in Earby and because I've been here so long I've got to know them really well."

And she added: "I promise I won't be putting the prices up now."