Customers and staff in USA Nails Fashion were shut in for half an hour after staff tested the shutter and could not get it back open at about 1pm on Tuesday, January 17.

Sutton firefighters cut through the shutter shortly after they were called at 1.20pm and stayed there for about an hour.

Rebecca Daniels, 23, of Brighton Road, was trapped in the salon.

She said: “The owner tested out the shutters to see if it worked and he could not get them back up again. When we couldn't get out I called the fire brigade.

“When I went outside the shop there was a crowd of people watching what was happening.

“I was scared. Why would you test the shutter when you have customers in the shop, you would wait until they had gone and when it was closed for the day?”

A witness said: “Customers were trapped for over half an hour when a shop shutter closed itself while they were inside, it took a fire rescue team ten minutes to free the shocked customers who refused to pay for their treatment.”

USA Nails Fashion declined to comment.