A MOCK Siberian salt cave has been recreated in a Borehamwood shop offering treatment for people with respiratory problems.

Owners of the unusual therapy centre, which opened in January in Leeming Road, have transformed a retail unit into what looks like a winter wonderland.

Two tonnes of rock salt has been spread across the floor, while cavernous walls have been seasoned with salt from the Dead Sea.

Particles are also released into the air via a pump, which proponents say can reach the deepest part of the lungs.

It is supposed to help reduce inflammation triggered by allergies to dust, pollen or pollution, and clean out mucus blocking the airways.

Clients are supposed to sit, while calming music and soothing lighting illuminates the grotto, and breathe through their mouth for one hour.

By the end of a session, you can feel the salt on your lips and you might need a drink, but it amounts to quite a relaxing experience.

Although the therapy has no medical accreditation in the UK, the owner of Saltheaven in Borehamwood claims the benefits can often be noticed after the first visit.

Hungarian native, Janos Koszecz, asked residents to come and try it for themselves, saying it is “totally drug-free and completely natural”.

He said the therapy has boomed in Europe, especially in his homeland where there are more than 200 centres for a population of just nine million.

Depending on the condition, ten to 15 sessions are advised at a cost between £20 and £35, results are said to last a year or so.

Mr Koszecz said the two tonnes of salt used in the centre is changed every 18 months, and he plans to recycle it by offering it for use on the roads in the winter months.