HAIR stylists at a Borders salon are a cut above the rest having reached the last 32 in a UK wide competition.

Morag Sterrick, the proprietor of Earlston’s Aquarius Hair Design for the past 19 years, is excited after beating more than 35,000 salons around the country to make it to the top five in three categories of the salonbusiness.co.uk awards.

Aquarius has a chance of a top prize, potentially worth £2,500 in Best Local salon, Salon team of the year or Male grooming salon.

Morag said: “Final judging started on Monday from the submissions which we sent in, we have a good chance as some in the last 32 are only in one category but we have made it to the top five in three categories. There are three of us in the salon now but this week is staff holidays so we are all waiting for a call.” It is not the first time Aquarius has made it on the national stage, in 2012 the salon was a regional finalist in the L’Oréal Professional Colour Trophy - the longest running hairdressing event in the industry’s calendar. It was a busy year for the salon as it was a finalist in the Employer of the Year category at the Scottish Borders Business Awards, and an Aquarius trainee hair stylist Luana Henderson, finished second in the Scottish heats of the UK Student of the Year Awards.