A HAIRDRESSERS was forced to cancel all of its appointments after Storm Dennis hit.

Toni and Guy, who has a shop inside the Royals Shopping Centre, had to reschedule its bookings with customers after concerns about the weighty pot plants being blown off the top of Debenhams.

Bosses at the Royals shopping centre had to push back their opening times too.

The centre tweeted: “Due to unsafe plants on Debenhams’ roof, we are going to delay opening the centre until it’s made safe.”

They later posted: “The centre and car park have been re-opened, now that the loose plant on Debenhams’ roof has been secured.”

According to Toni and Guy, Debenhams had the same issue last week, during Storm Ciara.

The shop posted on social media on Sunday: “Due to health and safety reasons we have closed the salon today and are really sorry for any inconvenience caused.

“Thanks to Debenhams for not sorting the problem out when you’ve had a week.

“We are sorry to all the clients we had to cancel.”

An assistant manager at the hairdressers, Alan Keeble, told the Echo that the hairdressers had debated whether it was safe for them to open last Monday.

After discussions with the shopping centre, the hairdressers remained open.

He added: “We had to shut on Sunday, we were told it wasn’t safe. The cancelled appointments have been rescheduled.”

Debenhams were contacted for a statement.

Pictures from across the county show trees down in Rayleigh, and flooding in Rochford and Billericay.

Police officers in Rayleigh warned residents to stay away from Hooley Drive after

Elsewhere in Essex, St Luke’s hospice, based in Basildon, was forced to cancel its 10-mile race.

Organisers also had to cancel Test Track 10 event, scheduled for Sunday, due to “adverse weather conditions.”

The event, sees competitors raise funds for the hospice, and race around Ford Dunton’s two test tracks.

Runners would have either raced the 2km fun run, or the 10-mile race, and have been told by the hospice that they can complete the Virtual Test Track 10 event in their own time.

In a statement on Saturday morning, they said that competitors from this year’s event will be automatically enrolled onto next year’s race.