Covid: Newcastle striker Joelinton fined for lockdown haircut

A footballer who broke lockdown restrictions to get a haircut has been fined £200.

Newcastle United striker Joelinton, 24, the club's £40m record signing who joined in 2019, shared a picture of himself with barber Tom Baxter in the hairdresser's North Shields garage.

The football club has been approached for comment.

Mr Baxter had been warned before about possible breaches and has been given prohibition notices by two councils.

He said he "holds his hands up" for cutting the hair of several footballers during the current lockdown which he "shouldn't have done", but he was trying to "make ends meet".

"I have done them all, they have all had hair dos, they just did not put it on social media," he said.

He thought Joelinton's cut should be permitted because it was for a photo shoot and "TV stars are allowed to get their hair and make up done", he said.

Hair salons and barbers in England are currently closed under lockdown regulations.

Northumbria Police would not identify individuals but said it had "spoken to the 24-year-old man who will be issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice under the Coronavirus legislation".

"The local authority, who are responsible for enforcement in relation to businesses, have served a 35-year-old man with a prohibition notice," a spokesperson said.

Newcastle City Council said it had issued Mr Baxter with a warning in November and a prohibition notice in January for his Newcastle salon.

North Tyneside Council also issued a prohibition notice after complaints Mr Baxter was working from his garage, which is in the borough.

Mr Baxter said his Newcastle salon was closed in November and reopened under tier three rules in December.

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