A TATTOO parlour owner has revealed he has had to dip into his firefighter pension fund, with his business at times feeling like a “noose” around his neck.

Haydn Brown, 41, owns the Skin City Tattoo Studio in Tonge Moor Road, having bought it in 2017.

Having served as a firefighter for 19 years, Haydn bought the shop as a retirement present with his lump sum.

However, a constant series of lockdown and ever-changing tier restrictions has left Haydn in tough business straits, as he fights, like a number of other small business operators, to stay afloat.

Describing the business as being like a “noose around my neck” at times, Haydn has been forced to dip into his pension fund to pay rent, as well as giving money to some of his employees.

Haydn added that while he had received some support from the government in the form of grants, it was not enough to fully subsidise the needs of his business and its employees.

He said: “It isn’t just the lockdown affecting us - a big problem is customers’ confidence.

"People are too scared to book as it isn’t guaranteed that we will be open by the time their session comes around.

“So people will just say, 'well can I have my money back' and then it just becomes refund after refund.

“There are four people that work here, so that is four families that the business cares for.

"I’ve been paying out of my fire pension for rent and wages.

“I can sit in a house and eat food, but if my friends can’t - what’s the point?”

Haydn said that while he was sure the government would sort everything out soon - with vaccines on the way and normality a light at the end of the tunnel - he admitted the affect on his mental health was currently quite stark.

He said: “They will sort it out soon but at the minute we are just stuck in a vicious circle.

"Thankfully, a lot of our customers have said that they understand this time around and they been very supportive.

“The mental health factor of all of this though is horrific.

"My lump sum has gone now and driving past the empty building is soul destroying.

"It’s like having a noose around my neck.

“A lot of people will say that it’s only a tattoo shop, but that tattoo shop has a few families that need paying.”

His experience has been echoed by a number of similar occupations across Bolton.