Doncaster business boss accuses neighbouring shop of filling home with "toxic fumes"

Zara Jayne Elliott, who runs alternative clothing store Wonderland Awaits in Frenchgate, has been locked in a long-running battle with neighbouring nail salon Beautiful Nails.

The fed-up boutique boss has now launched a blistering attack on the salon – saying it is damaging her health – and has called for help from Mayor Ros Jones as well as the city’s Labour MPs.

In a lengthy Facebook post, she said: “I’m completely fed up.

"I’ve gone home to my house yet again filled with toxic fumes and this time it has filled all floors of my home and I can taste the chemicals in every room of my house.

“I’ve been having a massive issue with Beautiful Nails since October 2022.”

She has accused the salon of having no extraction or ventilation system “just a couple of small fans in the suspended ceiling essentially venting fumes into the building above.”

She said: “This has meant that every day for over two and a half years, nail filings, powder and toxic fumes have been entering my home.

"Environmental health agents have been out to my property several times to witness the strong odours and fumes.

“They are still operating and endangering people.

"They have been served multiple notices of multiple time periods in order to meet the requirements set out by Environmental Health and the beauty Industry best practice.

"All of these have been ignored and they’re refusing to cooperative.

"This has had a profound effect on my physical and mental health.

"Part of my home has had to be blocked off to try and reduce the amount of toxins and chemicals spreading further and myself and my partner are essentially breathing them in every single day and overnight which has added to breathing issues, lethargy, lightheadedness and physical muscle pain on top of my existing cardio respiratory issues.

"My fire alarms get set off randomly by the fumes, and I’m constantly on edge.

"On the mental health side it is affecting us as we are unable to unpack our belongings and unable to invite friends or family round or use our sofa or living or dining room space as it has to be permanently blocked off.

"After all the time spent on building work to create a home above my shop, we are still living out of boxes.

"The past two and a half years since they moved in has been extremely hard. My ill health has led to me having to continue operating reduced opening hours as most days I feel sedated from the fumes.

"I have got behind on my custom work as I have been physically unable to sew at times.

"This means I have had to close my custom order books early this year and turn down customers so that I only take on work I know I can complete and items are taking me much longer than usual to finish due to good and bad health days.

"This has had a huge negative affect on my business.

"Beautiful Nails couldn’t care less about endangering the public and local residents or following rules. If they were a food establishment endangering peoples health they would have been shut down and unable to reopen until they meet environmental health requirements.

"How come legitimate businesses and residents are allowed to suffer while these businesses are allowed to thrive.

"I am at a point I will not be silenced about this and the public need to know about this hazard to health.”

We have attempted to contact Beautiful Nails for comment.