Hairdressers offering customers a free tipple as part of their services face being jailed for up to six months.

Salons in Horsham have been warned by Horsham District Council to stop giving people a glass of wine or face the consequences.

The council says that businesses offering a complimentary glass of alcohol as an incentive for a haircut are breaking the law because they have not applied for appropriate licences.

It has refused to identify which salons are serving alcoholic beverages, saying it was believed a number were inadvertently doing it.

So far no businesses have been charged.

District Councillor Brian Donnelly said the licensing team was making hairdressers and barbers aware of the law. He said: "We don't want to be killjoys but we are asking that all hairdressing salons comply with the new national licensing laws.

"We are very happy to offer advice and work together to make ensure this happens as smoothly as possible."

The news has infuriated Horsham hairdressers.

The Cutting Room in Market Square has been serving complimentary glasses of wine to its customers for two years.

Manager Judy Godsmark said: "I think the council is being a killjoy. A lot of clients come here because we serve wine. It helps them relax and that's what visiting the hairdressers is about. It's a nice incentive and has definitely been working for us. I think the fines are very harsh. It's not like we're selling it. And it's just one glass."

The ruling signals the end of the annual Christmas tipple at Mayfair Hair Studio in The Parade. Manager Kay Tyler said: "The only time we have a drink is at Christmas when we have a glass of sherry with a mince pie. I don't think it does any harm. I think they should leave things as they are."

Not all hairdressers opposed the crackdown. Maria Cipollaro, manager of The Hair Shop in Glynde Place, said: "I personally wouldn't want to serve alcohol to clients that came in anyway. I just don't think it's right. If someone walked past the shop and saw a customer with a glass of wine, I don't think it would give off the right impression."

Under the 2003 Licensing Act, the council has the power to take hairdressers and barbers to court for serving a complimentary alcoholic beverage. Even though they are not selling alcohol, the fact a drink is conditional upon the purchase of a hair or beauty treatment, means it comes within the scope of the Act.

Businesses caught breaching the Licensing Act could face fines of up to £20,000 or a six month prison sentence.

The Council's Licensing Officer will be conducting a number of visits in the coming weeks to ensure provisions of the 2003 Act are complied with.

For more information, call 01403 215578 or email publichealth.licensing@horsham.gov.uk What do you think?