A FAMILY businesses of 50 years is calling on support from local MPs to help fight a refused insurance claim hit by the coronavirus crisis.

Marc Antoni, which has been running its hairdressing salons in Bracknell and Caversham for 50 years, applied to Hiscox to help cover running costs during the lockdown.

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However, the owners were told their claim was unsuccessful as their business policy doesn't cover "human disease".

Director Julie Giamattei has had to take out a £300,000 loan to cover the rent costs of all five of her salons.

Following the rejection from Hiscox, she has written to Matt Rodda, MP for Reading East and James Sunderland, MP for Bracknell, for support.

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About 60 staff have been furloughed, but the six company directors will not receive any money this way, as they are paid on dividends.

She said: “We are getting by each day but we have to keep on fighting this battle. We closed our business just before the lockdown was announced on the Monday so the insurers told us we couldn't claim anything as we closed early. I have had to apply for grants, the rates relief of all five of our salons and was told we had to apply for a £300,000 bank loan in order to pay all our costs.

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"I have been in contact with the insurance company since March 4, trying to find out what will happen after this. I spoke then with Hiscox who said we are not covered, even though our policy states 'human disease' and the government has said this is a disease.

Julia said it took five years to build up the salon in Princess Square, Bracknell as it wants to retain that family trademark behind the business, which started in 1966.

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She added: "The company was started by my father-in-law Bruno Giamattei. There are four sons who have been running the business for nearly 40 years and their children also work in the salons.

"It's family orientated and we treat our staff like a family unit."

There are also three other salons in Fleet, Henley on Thames and Woodley, Wokingham.