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A man who ran an illegal tanning business in Melbourne despite being repeatedly warned to shut it down has been slapped with $61,000 in fines and legal fees.

Steven Hawker, 48, previously pleaded guilty to nine charges under the Radiation Act by providing a tanning unit for a fee on 853 occasions after advertising on Gumtree.

Solariums and sunbeds were banned in Victoria from the start of 2015, following research on their links to cancer.

Hawker, who has worked as a hairdresser for 30 years, appeared via video link in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday.