MR Ernst Martin Bartholet, Swiss hairdresser and scalp and skin specialist, has died at the age of 68.

The well-respected Elland businessman, better known around the Calderdale area as Hans of Switzerland, came over to England at the age of 21.

He had worked in several Swiss salons after completing his apprenticeship but made the momentous decision to leave home and come to this country initially to speak the language more fluently.

He arrived in Yorkshire with a suitcase in one hand and his beloved accordion in his other. He was an accomplished player and raised money for various charities.

After working at a major salon in Leeds for less than a year, he moved to Halifax to work for Irvine Lodge at his George Square salon, and was soon appointed manager.

It was there he was given the name of Hans to work under and it stuck with him.

He decided, after four years, to set up business for himself and opened his first salon at Whitwell Grove in Elland and later one in Southgate.

He married Diana in 1966 but after a serious car smash decided to close the salon at Whitwell Grove. By the early 70s he had other salons in Halifax, Elland and Brighouse but by that time he had become interested in biosthetics, a method of treating scalp and skin disorders with the aid of natural oils and essences.

He then decided to close all his other salons and concentrate on his larger Southgate salon and between 1972-78 he made many trips every year to study in Germany for week-long courses in biosthetics.

He became President of the British Biosthetics Society and later was recognised with a top award from the Societe Francaise de Biosthetique. Only four individuals in the world have received this recognition.

He was semi-retired and for several years only worked mornings but just loved his job.

He was chairman of Elland Round Table, a member of the 41 Club, a Freemason with Harmony Lodge 275 and the Octave Club.

Hans died of pneumonia in hospital and leaves a widow, Diana, three sons, Julian, Nicholas and Jonathan and three grandchildren, the youngest being born just days before Hans died.

His funeral was held yesterday in Elland but his four older sisters who couldn't make the journey from Switzerland held a service at the same time in St Gallen.