ONE York barber’s is already taking bookings for where it can reopen after the lockdown.

Within two hours of opening its online and telephone booking system, Ali Barbers had three appointments.

Staff expect to be working flat out with social distancing in place once it reopens its doors on Front Street, Acomb.

Owner Alison Wigdahl said she and her husband Gareth had been planning the reopening for six weeks.

She said: “Even if it’s only “corrections”, I think it is going to be very, very busy.”

She was referring to lessening the effects of do it yourself hair cuts done at home.

She currently expects to welcome customers back into the shop on July 4.

It will be open six days a week and closed on Sundays.

“I don’t think we will be allowed back any earlier.

“Hopefully, as long as we don’t get another spike, we can open at 9am on July 4.”

The barbers has done no business since March 23.

“As soon as we went into lockdown Gareth was looking at an appointments system,” she said.

Previously the business accepted customers off the street.

Now it has moved to appointments only, open to all and not restricted to previous customers.

Mr Wigdahl set up the computer based appointment system while she concentrated on ensuring that the three staff members and customers will be safe.

That includes getting PPE, installing cleaning facilities and other measures.

The shop has three stations and she has placed them so that each pair of barber and customer is socially distant from others in the room.

Stations will be cleaned between each customer.

“I’ve put everything in place that I think we can manage.” said Mrs Wigdahl. “We have just got to see what happens. ”

She is not planning to open extra hours to cope with the expected rush in business.

Her staff have family commitments that would make it difficult for them to increase their working hours.

The new system was announced via Facebook and through a notice on the shop window.