AN entrepreneurial teenager has fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening her own beauty salon.

Emily Coots, who is just 19 and from Woodgreen, opened Emily's Beauty in Salisbury Street, Fordingbridge on May 24, and says the response has already been really positive.

"It has been amazing, it's been so busy," she said.

"I've always wanted my own salon, it is all I've ever dreamed about. I never thought I would be able to do it so soon."

Growing up she says she always had a passion for beauty, especially doing nails.

Emily trained in hair and beauty at Wiltshire College in Salisbury and went on to study beauty therapies at Bournemouth and Poole College.

She started running a mobile beauty service a year ago before leaping at the chance to open her first salon.

In the future Emily hopes to be able to employ more staff and develop the treatments that the business has to offer by get specialists in other areas of beauty. At the moment she is the sole member of staff.

She is delighted to now have a high street presence in Fordingbridge and says the salon is offering "something new and fresh" in the town.

"I want to encourage new businesses to open, I want Fordingbridge to survive, there are a lot of empty shops and new business should be supported."