A barber had a close shave with the law after putting 1,000 fake parking tickets on cars to promote his business.

Jack Louis, who owns his own men’s hair styling salon, left the promotional leaflets which looked like penalty charge notices (PCN) on vehicles in Great Dunmow, Essex.

The ‘tickets’ actually included a voucher for £5 off a haircut rather than a fine which received a mixed reception from locals.

Jack, 35, said he received a visit from police community support officers (PCSOs) over the stunt but said rising costs meant ‘whoever shouts the loudest gets seen and heard’.

Great Dunmow Town Council said placing anything that mimics an enforcement notice is ‘inappropriate’.

Jack, who has run the community barber shop for nine years, said: ‘You have to reinvent the wheel and get creative.

‘Some people have said it caused them stress – you have to respect that but it wasn’t the intention behind it.

‘I’ve got people talking, which was our aim, and I hope people can see both sides of the coin.

‘It’s helping us boost our business, getting a few more clients on board, while the voucher could help someone out if they’re struggling to set money aside for a hair cut.

‘There was a purpose and a motivation to this marketing – as a business owner you can either sit there and do nothing or you can go out there and get more work.’

Jack spent £140 on the marketing stunt, dishing out £70 for the fake PCNS and another £70 printing out the vouchers, which totalled £5k of money off haircuts.

In response, one person commented on Facebook: ‘Open it, laugh, chuck it in the bin and go on about your day.’

Another said: ‘My partner found one on his car and was raging. I thought it was hilarious and ingenious.’

But one resident posted: ‘If you want some advice on proactive marketing, please let me know! This is not the way to do it! Disgraceful!’

The father-of-two explained: ‘We’ve been here for nine years but business has got harder because of the cost of living crisis, national insurance rises and even down to the price of hairspray.

‘I spend £80 a month just on hairspray now. It used to cost me £3.75 and now it can be around £8.

‘We have had to put our prices up and a cut can cost £35.

‘There are seven barber shops on our high street alone. A lot of these shops can do hair cuts for £15 but there might be something else happening behind the scenes.’

Jack, who also canvasses by handing out leaflets, said the typical marketing usually ended up in the bin and said he was keen to grab attention.

The barber works alongside four other self-employed stylists and said a proactive approach to marketing works.

He added: ‘I’ve had around 50 people come in with their voucher.

‘The police did pop in and ask why I did it. But it’s not illegal.

‘It did cause a stir in the community but it also has gained traction around Essex. I’ve got people talking.’

A Great Dunmow Town Council spokesperson told a local newspaper: ‘We are aware of reports that imitation parking charge notices have been placed on vehicles in the town, which, on opening, contain a promotional voucher for a local barber.

‘We understand that some residents have been understandably distressed, believing the notices to be genuine.

‘While no official penalties have been issued in this case, placing anything on a vehicle in a way that mimics an enforcement notice is inappropriate and risks causing unnecessary alarm.’