A TEENAGER has been inundated with offers of free hair cuts after a hairdresser told him he "only cuts European hair".

The Press reported yesterday that teenager Sammy Roy dropped in to have his hair cut at Skinny Sams barbers in Walmgate, York, on his way to work on Saturday morning.

The 18-year-old, of Hadrian Avenue, Tang Hall, York, took a seat to wait as the manager, Sam Atkinson, was cutting someone else's hair.

Sammy claimed he was waiting only a matter of minutes before being told he could not have his hair cut.

Sammy said: "I went in and I didn't even say what haircut I wanted. I took a seat to wait for him to finish another guy's hair and he turned to me and looked at me and said I only do European hair'.

"Normally, I get it quite short so I only wanted it doing with the clippers.

"I was quite upset all day."

Since the piece went in the newspaper The Press was inundated with offers from barbers saying they would cut Sammy's hair for free.

The teen has said he will be taking Michael Chapman who owns The Barber Shop, in Fulford Road, up on his offer of a free cut.

Mr Chapman said: "I thought it might be nice to help this lad out. I've been a hairdresser for 50 years and couldn't believe it when I read the piece. I think it's high time we went back to a system of apprentice training for barbers."

Sammy, whose dad, John, is from Papua New Guinea and mum, Dang, is Thai, has straight black hair and said he has never had any problems before getting his hair cut.

Mr Atkinson insisted he only cuts European hair because specialist training is needed to cut other hair types including Asian and Afro-Caribbean.

Lawton Henry, owner of Lawton Henry Hairdressing, Beauty, and Barber Shop - and Skinny Sam's - said: "Sam is only trained in cutting European hair, but we do offer a service for any nationality in our sister salons.

"We welcome any nationality - but Sam just isn't trained to do it."

Sammy, who sat his A-levels at York College, is now waiting to go to university.