THEY say big things come in small packages, and that's what a Worcester barber hoped when he opened his tiny shop in St John's.

Despite having 8.5ft by 8.5ft to work with, Si Moore says he hopes to achieve great things from his barbershop, The Bolthole, based in the Bull Ring in St John's.

Having had more than 25 years' experience in the haircutting industry, Mr Moore said he knew the shop would be a challenge.

"My dad was a barber working for some of the biggest names in the 1960s. I've worked in various places around the country and I've had barber shops around Worcester for years. The last place I worked was in Malvern and it was a big shop that was always rammed," he said.

"I decided to break off and do my own thing four months ago and ideally I wanted to be in the city centre, but rent and rates were too high there.

"So then I saw this place in St John's. I'll be honest, when I first had a look it wasn't something I thought would work. But then I realised it was really all the space I needed. Once I'd cleaned it up, put some new lights in and decorated it a bit it was great. There's room for a few people to wait while I have one person in the chair. I've got everything I need in reaching distance, and it's certainly a talking point."

Mr Moore said he believes there's a chance his shop could be the smallest barbershop in the UK.

"My step-daughter did a bit of research on the internet and we couldn't find another barbershop that was as small as mine. There was one in India that was 3ft by 10ft, which is insane, so I can't quite claim to be the smallest in the world. But customers really like it, and have given good feedback.

"I'm an old-fashioned barber and I like to give a personal touch when people come in, and I like to chat and get to know people, so the small space doesn't hurt. I don't take appointments at the moment, so people can just walk right in and take a seat."

While he says trade has been constant over the last few months, Mr Moore admits his shop is in danger of being overlooked.

"Some days are busier than others, as with most businesses. But I really want to make it work here, and I'll see how it is going a year down the line. But I'm very optimistic," he said.