A PENDLE hairdresser is at the cutting edge of the music industry after becoming a stylist to the stars.

Dale Neal has gone from cropping Colners' hair to styling up-and-coming international music acts.

And he landed his big break after doing a favour for a friend.

The 37-year-old, who used to run Dale Neal Hairdressing in Colne, styled the hair for the actors in the short film Fizzy Days, which was screened at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

A contact of the producer, Steve Rigg, was impressed with Dale's designs and he asked him if he would style the hair for Mercury Music Prize nominee Richard Hawley in the videos for his singles Coles Corner and Born Under a Bad Sign.

And now Dale, of Church Street, Barrowford, is the hair stylist of singer Kezi Silverstone, sister of US actress Alicia Silverstone, star of films such as Clueless and Batman and Robin, and the former face of men's toiletries Lynx.

He has also landed the role of styling the hair of American teenage singer Kaci, who has had three top 30 hits in the UK.

He said: "I got involved by doing the hair for a film called Fizzy Days which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

"I did it as a favour and did not think any more of it.

"Through that, I started doing other things and it just went from there."

Dale has not abandoned his roots though.

He still rents a chair at Pulse, Gisburn Road, Barrowford, where he charges about £30 - slightly less than the £300 a day fee demands when on set.

He is now preparing Kezi Silverstone for her latest video Nightingale, another single, Angel, which will feature on the film Fatal Kiss, and a photo shoot for Hello magazine as well as overseeing an image change for Kaci.

Dale said: "She is changing her image and is going for more of a Christina Aguilera look and I am working with a lot of extensions."

And Dale is looking to increase his client base and hopes to work with Gary Numan and ex-MPeople singer Heather Small.

He added: "It's really different from cutting people's hair on shoot one minute it's really avant-garde with short, silky hair then the next minute it's long hair.

"It has really taken off and there is a few jobs coming up. I never really wanted to do it, I was just lucky but I am really enjoying it."