A BEAUTY salon is hoping other businesses will follow its lead in ditching gossip magazines in the wake of the death of Caroline Flack.

Bliss Hair, Nails and Beauty, in The Parade, Blackheath, Colchester, has joined a wave of salons nationally in binning its selection of glossy magazines.

The owners say some magazines “do nothing” to promote positive mental wellbeing and instead revel in shaming celebrities.

The salon will now only supply magazines covering other topics such as hobbies, fashion, hair inspiration, health and wellbeing.

The move away from stocking so-called gossip magazines was inspired by the high-profile death of former Love Island presenter Caroline Flack.

The star, 40, was awaiting trial for an alleged assault when she took her own life.

Sections of the national press have been criticised for their intense scrutiny of the presenter’s personal life in the lead up to the trial.

Wendy Pancherz, who owns Bliss, says some magazines have been getting away with poor behaviour for years.

“We will not be promoting these magazines,” she said.

“These are magazines that slate people, advertise people’s personal problems, disrespect outfits that people wear, their hairstyles, their lives in general and the list goes on and on.”

She added: “It isn’t just the bullying, it is the effect this kind of magazine has on young children, who grow up thinking airbrushed pictures are reality.

“They sell because people like to be nosey, they like to see what happens in these people’s lives.

“They know exactly who to put on the front page.

“I went into a shop this morning and there were a couple of rows of ‘normal’ magazines and then three or four rows of gossip magazines.”

Wendy said Caroline Flack’s death and the “overwhelmingly positive” reaction to her decision to ditch the magazines made her wish she had taken the step sooner.

She says she has heard of many salons following suit across the world and hopes their actions could prove to be a wake-up call.

“There was shock when Caroline died,” she said.

“They didn’t expect it from someone like that because from what small part of her life you see on TV, she seems to have the world at her feet.”