AN 18-year-old hairdresser says she is "over the moon" and excited to see what the future brings after opening her very first salon.

India Tate opened her brand new 1950s style barbershop, The Groom Room, in Coggeshall, on Saturday.

The former Honywood School pupil had been working in another hair salon in the town for four years, alongside taking hairdressing courses, before seizing her opportunity and opening a shop of her own.

Ms Tate, who has lived in the town all her life, said: "I'm over the moon, it's always been something which I've wanted to do sooner rather than later.

"I thought it would probably happen in my twenties, not when I was 18, but I'd been saving up my money to be able to do it.

"So when the shop came up I thought to myself that you only live once so I just went for it."

The teenager is renting the shop in Bridge Street which was formerly a beauticians called the Radiance Room.

She explained how she came to want to open a barbershop which has a focus on the 1950s style.

She said: "My dad has been a rockabilly since he was a teenager so I've always been around it.

"It's something which as really grown on me, I'm really into the 1950s fashion and the vintage cars - I couldn't imagine myself wearing what other girls my age wear.

"But it's just such a nice group of people to be around, it seems quite sophisticated."

The shop was officially opened on Saturday and will be open everyday of the week apart from Sundays and Mondays.

Ms Tate said: "The first day was amazing, it was really good. There were lots of new faces who came along to visit.

"In the future I'd like to be able to open some more shops around Essex, I think that would be the ultimate goal."

Visit www.facebook.com/thegroomroombarber for more information.