A Weston hairdresser has won a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ trip to Asia after showcasing his expert skills in a competition.

Steven Smart, who owns Smart:Est 73 hair salon in the Boulevard, beat thousands of hopefuls to win a colour challenge run by cosmetics firm Revlon Professional.

Entrants were required to upload pictures of a colour transformation to Instagram, and judges picked Steven – the reigning Wales and South West hairdresser of the year – from thousands of entries.

He said: “I took photos of a very challenging colour correction, but knew I’d be up against lots of extremely strong entries from some of the best hair experts.

“The judges chose my entry, showing you don’t have to come from a London salon to be among the world’s best.”

Steven’s success has earned him an all-expenses-paid trip to India with his wife Debra, worth more than £5,500.

He added: “My only problem now is finding 10 days I can take out of my schedule to enjoy the prize.”