A chain of east London tanning salons has been shut down after reopening on July 4 against lockdown guidelines.

Sun City Tanning, which has 10 stores in east London and Essex, reopened at 9.30am on Saturday.

A post on the business’ Instagram page insisted that the stores “are fully Covid-19 friendly” and that “enough is enough” after 102 days of closure.

However, later on the same day, a new post confirmed that the stores had been “forced to close”.

Sun City Tanning wrote: “Sorry to have to inform you all that the Government has just enforced our closure saying that pubs, restaurants and hair salons can open today but we still can’t!?

“We’ve been threatened with fines, legal action and even having our licence revoked! They also haven’t given us a date or any clue whatsoever as to when we can reopen!

“We were under the impression that because we are a non tactile industry with all Covid-19 safety measures in place that we’d surely fall under a “safe to open” bracket - clearly not.

“Especially the fact that the three sectors opening today are very social, tactile industries. It would seem that “logic” simply isn’t a factor at all in the reopening of the economy.”

The business’ Instagram page links to a petition from The Sunbed Association, with almost 14,000 signatures, calling on the Government to allow tanning salons to reopen.

The chain has stores in Bow, Bethnal Green, Elm Park, Loughton, Chingford, Chigwell, Dagenham, Harold Hill, Hornchurch and Woodford Green.

Epping Forest district councillor Stephen Murray said: “I realise that local businesses are keen to resume trading but the Government will be following public health advice about which types of business still need to remain closed and it is only reasonable to expect all such affected businesses to adhere to this guidance."

A Waltham Forest Council spokesperson confirmed that the council had visited the chain’s premises in Highams Park and shut it down.

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