THE owner of a Sankey Bridges salon has praised and thanked the community after appealing for help to give a five-month-old tot the ‘send off he deserves’.

Leo Taylor, who was born at Warrington Hospital but moved to London recently, died on January 26 aged five-months-old.

Relatives have rallied around Leo’s stunned parents Darren and Kayleigh Taylor to support them with funeral costs as they have no savings to pay for the day.

Kayleigh’s cousin Claire Bracewell organised a fundraiser at her salon Renaissance, Old Liverpool Road, on Sunday and said she was thrilled with the response.

Claire added: “It’s been really difficult as Leo was born a healthy baby and then at nine weeks he was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy.

“It’s not something you think about having to save for so we were just trying to raise as much as we could to give the little fella the funeral he deserves.”

The salon have had donations handed to them by clients as well as collecting for a raffle and a fundraising treatment day.

Therapists worked for free from 10am to 7pm on the day so every penny from £5 treatments including eyebrow waxes and massages and £7.50 treatments including spray tans and eyelash extensions would go towards the funeral.

So far £715 has been raised after more than 100 people have visited the salon.

Claire added: “I was gobsmacked with the response and people are still coming into the salon to donate which is amazing.

“It means Kayleigh can give Leo the funeral she wants and she was in tears when I told her as now the pressure is off her.

“She’s so grateful to everyone and can’t believe the amount that has been raised.”