NON-ESSENTIAL businesses forced to close in the November 5 lockdown say the latest blow could be the end for them.

Blackburn hairdresser Karen Billington said if the lockdown ends up being longer, her business may not survive.

Karen, 38, owns Reflektion Hair on Albion Street and is the only hairdresser working in her salon, while only accepting one client at a time to remain Covid-19 safe.

She is hoping that the lockdown will end on December 2 but is concerned it could be extended further if it doesn’t work.

She said: “I’m absolutely gutted - I’m more angry than sad.

“Christmas is coming and it's the busiest time of year for us. We rely on December to get us through January.

“I don’t believe it is going to just be four weeks. After four weeks he will say we need another four weeks then another four weeks and I won’t survive.

“I’ve got loads of PPE. How is this a danger when there is only me in here? If you are going to do a lockdown, lock everything down.”

Karen is on her own and has only just bought a new house so on top of worries about her business, she is now worried about her home situation.

“I don’t have any support here, I don’t have a partner to support me,” she added. “You’re working every hour god sends to have a nice life and pay your bills and you get shut.

“I get there is a virus and I appreciate it but without money how do we pay our bills? I’ve got this place and I’ve just got a house so I’m worried.”

The national lockdown will see pubs, restaurants, entertainment venues and non-essential shops shut from Thursday, November 5 until Wednesday December 2, but Government admitted it would go on if infection rates don't drop.

People are being asked to work from home if they can and are also being told to stay at home unless they have a specific reason to leave.

Georgia Burns who runs boogie bounce classes in Clitheroe Leisure Centre and is self employed is worried about the future of her businesses heading into a second lockdown.

She said: “I don’t know whether my business will survive this next lockdown, I genuinely don’t.

“It’s not the fact of you close your business and re-open start where you left off, it's building that up again, its that loss of income.

“I work so hard and I live for that business, I’ve been going for five years,” she added.

“I’ve reduced my numbers to make it safe for people and you’re locked down again. We have been have been following the guidelines and for what.”

She also works at Accrington and Rossendale College but as this is casual work, she relies on her own businesses to pay the bills.

As she did in the first lockdown, Georgia will be hiring out trampolines, but she said her class members struggled finding the motivation to use them before whilst the gyms were closed.

She added: “It’s not just the physical side of things it's people's mental health it gets them out the house for an hour.

“I thought the first time round it had to be done but this time around, they are keeping the schools open and I don’t understand why gyms have been tarred with the same brush.

“They are saying for kids mental health and their education they need to stay in school but what about adults' mental health?”