A YOUNG mum has told how she pleaded with a scissors-wielding man not to hurt her during a robbery at the Swansea hair salon where she works.

One terrified woman customer at Alexander's Hairdressers in Mayhill Road, Mayhill, ran outside screaming for help when the thug pulled the scissors on 21-year-old Leanne Hayden and forced her into handing over money.

He then escaped into a neighbouring garden where he threatened another woman.

Leanne said she was in the salon with two lady customers and could see the man hanging around outside.

"He came in and asked 'Do you only do women's hair?'," she recalled.

"We do men's hair too but he didn't look 100 per cent so I told him we only did women's hair. He asked where he could go to get a haircut and I told him, and then he asked how he could get there.

"Then I noticed he had these scissors in his hand, pointing backwards. I told him to get out and he walked right up to me and said, 'How do I get there again?' and then he pulled the scissors out. I told him, 'Please don't hurt me'.

"I've got an 18-month-old son and when he held the scissors to me, my boy was all I could think about."

It was then that one of her customers jumped up and ran outside, screaming: "Police, police."

"He went for her but then stopped once she had gone outside," said Leanne. "He rushed back towards me. He had the scissors pointing right at my face, opening and shutting them and telling me to give him money."

Leanne said he then went outside but people had gathered, alerted by the customer's screams.

"He started running down the road but a man chased him back up and he jumped into one of the gardens. There was a woman there and he threatened her with the scissors but she got away from him and locked herself in her house."

Leanne was on her regular day off yesterday but said she would be back as normal today.

"It was a real shock. It was absolutely horrible," she said. "I was crying my eyes out and I couldn't sleep that night.

"But I am strong-minded and I am going back to work. If I keep putting it off, I'll never get over it."

Alexander's owner Teresa Collins said: "Leanne was traumatised and I told her to take as much time off as she needed," she added.

"But she wants to come back and confront her fears and I think she is doing the right thing."

It happened at around 3pm on Wednesday. Police are looking for a white man in his late 20s, roughly 5ft 5in tall and of slim build.

He wore a black and white woollen hat with ear flaps and straps that can be tied under the chin, large sunglasses, a black jacket, blue jeans and white training shoes.

Contact police in Swansea on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

paul.lewis@swwmedia.co.uk