An Oswestry barber has proved he's a cut above the rest after being shortlisted in a national competition.

Thomas Young, of Hi Style Barbers in Church Street, has made the shortlist for the Midlands regional final of the prestigious Britain's Best Shave 2018.

The 25-year-old will face razor sharp competition when he travels to the Alan Howard store in Stockport on March 14 with the hope of securing the top spot and the most crucial shave of his life in the national final.

He said: "I first got into barbering from my dad's inspiration. He is also a barber. I worked in his shop as a junior while I attended North Shropshire College. I spent many months cutting my blockhead while the other barbers cut real customers, as you can imagine I was the pun of quite a few jokes.

"Although I love cutting hair it was shaving that I really craved to do. Watching the old movies where the guys would go in and just have a shave, I wanted to be the cool barber looking after them.”

Anticipating the competition, Thomas, who would like to pursue wet-shaving in the future, added: “Shaving is something I love, and to try my hand at being the best in the country is definitely something I would like do!”

The national final will be held inside a boxing ring at Barber UK at the Birmingham NEC on May 20.

Now in its fifth year, the annual competition, run by industry watchdogs the British Barbers’ Association and premium male grooming brand The Bluebeards Revenge, is fast becoming the most coveted competition of the barbering industry.

Finalists must impress judges on a number of criteria, including shave preparation, razor technique, post-shave routine, health and safety and overall efficiency.

Nick Gibbens, spokesperson for The Bluebeards Revenge, said: “Each year we’re blown away by the level of talent out there, and this year we’ve had a record number of entries.

"What this shows is that competitions like this, along with the good work of the British Barbers Association, help to drive up standards in the barbering industry – that’s the overall objective.”

Ahead of the competition Hi Style Barbers are offering 50 per cent off their full shave service available Thursdays to Saturdays until March 10.