Dog lovers interested in making a career out of looking after pets will now have the option of a new grooming school in Greenwich.

The Hadlow PIF Dog Grooming School, in Shooters Hill, will offer dog grooming qualifications and will also operate as a grooming salon.

Councillor Denise Hyland said: “This school will provide recognised qualifications that can set students up for employment in a growing multi-million pound industry.

“I am confident that the local people who take up these courses will be able to build rewarding, long term careers and I hope many of them will, one day, launch their own businesses.”

The new business is a joint partnership between Hadlow College and the Pet Industry Federation.

Mark Lumsdon-Taylor, group deputy principal at Hadlow College, commented: “The next generation of dog groomers we welcome here at the centre will be benefitting from teaching staff with the highest level of expertise possible in the field and the demand for a centre such as this is proof that there is a very strong market for qualified groomers.

“We only see this industry going from strength to strength.”

Registration for course places and dog grooming appointments can be made by visiting www.hadlow.ac.uk.