STAFF at a Penketh hairdressers are feeling a cut above the rest after winning a national hairdressing photography competition with images taken at Sankey Station.

O'Neill's hair team set about creating their winning shoot after finding a number of suppliers had cut back on their marketing since the recession meaning no fresh posters for their salon windows and walls.

But rather than put up with tired-looking images, they decided to make their own and opted to do something locally.

Carl O'Neill, who runs the hair and beauty salon on Warrington Road with wife Mel, said: "After a brain storming session we decided upon using Great Sankey railway station as a back drop for a photo shoot.

"We wanted to capture its heritage as it is a very old building and has been in the centre of the village for decades which local people would recognise.

"We went for a vintage theme and after going to London's biggest hair exhibition in the UK where we would get oodles of inspiration, we stumbled across a vintage clothes store in Covent Garden."

Using four models from the town and Latchford photographer Radka Doplinska, the team worked together using different parts of the station as backdrops with the images displayed in the salon, on gift vouchers and business cards.

Carl added: "It has been thoroughly worthwhile as it has given us a true community feel as lots of our clients recognise where the shots were taken and can relate to them.

"It really captures the 1950s period as we went for waves, curls, hair up and the gent was perfectly groomed.

"We captured the heritage of the station just in time as days later it had a face lift implementing bright yellow hand rails.

"We were absolutely delighted to win first place, a winning diploma, medal and the national trophy all from using our locally taken images."