A St John’s Wood hairdresser is looking on the bright side after a woman ‘did a runner’ with £150-worth of highlights.

Ham & High: The woman having her highlights done (left) and leaving the salon (right) before she darted without paying. Pictures: Mario SammourThe woman having her highlights done (left) and leaving the salon (right) before she darted without paying. Pictures: Mario Sammour (Image: Archant)

Mario Sammour, who runs the hairdresser’s in Boundary Road, said he had “never seen anything like it” in his 30 years in the business.

On July 28, at around 4pm, a blonde woman, thought to be in her 40s, turned up for a pre-booked appointment for a full set of blonde highlights.

The hairdresser worked on her for an hour before the client asked if she could go for a smoke.

Still dressed in a styling gown and with her highlights wrapped in foils on her head, she went outside before a car suddenly arrived and whisked her away.

Ham & High: Owner Mario Sammour and colourist Rami were left bemused by the getaway. Picture: Polly HancockOwner Mario Sammour and colourist Rami were left bemused by the getaway. Picture: Polly Hancock (Image: Archant)

Mario told the Ham&High he was taking the highlights theft “on the chin”.

He said: “It was a bit upsetting but to be honest with you I was laughing afterwards, I was laughing all night.

“I was laughing about it because the scene of her running in the gown with foils in her hair was a bit funny.

“I’ve been in the industry for 30 years and I’ve never had anything like that.”

Mario said the woman was suspiciously quiet as she had the highlights done and he could “tell” something wasn’t right.

The owner continued: “I thought maybe she would end up saying ‘I’m not going to pay’ – but I didn’t think she would run off with a set of highlights in the middle of the street.”

Rami, the colourist who did the highlights, said: “She seemed like she didn’t want to make any eye contact. Her head was down a lot, so I did sense something was odd. She had about ten layers of bronzer on, it was like dripping off her.”

Rami said the woman wore a surgical mask and left a bag at the hairdresser’s – but all it had inside was a newspaper.

Rami believed this was a ploy to make him believe she would return after going for a smoke.

The incident was not reported to the police.