A retired company director’s life has potentially been saved thanks to having a haircut.

When James Mackenzie, 82, went for his regular trim, his hairdresser Kerrin Taylor noticed a lump behind his ear.

She mentioned it to him and suggested he get it checked out, but fearing he would not, she contacted a family friend whose hair she also cut, who then told Mr Mackenzie’s daughter.

That led to a GP appointment and a referral to a specialist, who confirmed the lump was a basal cell carcinoma.

The widower, who lives in Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire, is due to have it removed later this month.

His daughter, Clare Peevers, said the PA news agency: “I had never met Kerrin before but I knew her name because she used to cut my mum’s hair.

“I knew she was very nice to my father when my mother died, and gave him his first haircut for free because I think he must have walked in looking a bit lost.

“My mother always cut his hair and I don’t think he had ever been to a hairdresser.”

Miss Taylor works at the Four Market Street Hair Salon in Wotton-under-Edge and spotted the lump behind the retired company director’s ear.

“He went in and had his haircut and she said this is a nasty lump, and he said it had been bothering him a bit and it bleeds sometimes on his pillowcase,” Mrs Peevers said.

“She said that wasn’t good and said he needed to see a doctor about it and he said ‘Yes, yes, yes’ – typical man.

“He didn’t say anything to me about it and she just thought he wasn’t going to do anything about it – I think she could tell from his reaction.”

Miss Taylor spoke to Graham Archer, who worked for Kilcot Conservation for many years, and he told Mrs Peevers.

“I don’t know how she knew they were connected but somehow she had worked out he knew my father and told him,” Mrs Peevers said.

“He then phoned me to tell me my father had a lump behind his ear. I went to see him, and I could see it and took a photograph of it and showed him because he’d never seen it.

“We sent the photo off to the GP, who sent it off to the specialist and eventually he got called in.”

Mrs Peevers added: “I just think how lovely. If Kerrin hadn’t have bothered… I suppose if it had got worse, worse and worse, he might have mentioned it.

“I think this is my way of saying thank you to Kerrin and showing how they look after their customers.”