BY Maggie Gibson UNLICENSED tattooists are putting lives at risk by ignoring health and hygiene rules and using inferior equipment bought over the internet. At least five or six unlicensed tattooists are operating from their homes in and around March, ac

BY Maggie Gibson

UNLICENSED tattooists are putting lives at risk by ignoring health and hygiene rules and using inferior equipment bought over the internet.

At least five or six unlicensed tattooists are operating from their homes in and around March, according to some of the town's registered tattooists.

They claim customers are too scared to make official complaints because they are underage and because they are often a friend of the person who has done the tattoo.

Licensed tattooist Rik Brown regularly sees people needing help after having a tattoo.

Rik of Smart Art Tattoos operates in March and Chatteris.

He said: "The situation is getting worse there are loads of them setting up in March. People are putting themselves at risk from hepatitis, aids and what many don't realise - sexually transmitted diseases. These diseases are blood borne and can be caught by cross contamination.

"People are paying �20 for a bad tattoo and it can cost around �90 for me to put it right, and that is if it is possible to fix it, often it is not. Sometimes people are scarred really badly; we have attractive girls coming in who are scarred and need laser treatment which is so painful. We are seeing more cases because tattoos are becoming more popular."

Staff at Tattoo Crazy in March are also seeing people who are experiencing problems. Rita Roberts says youngsters are having tattoos and then regretting the decision.

She said: "People are having them done underage and then when they get to 18 or 19 they want them covered up or removed. People should think very seriously about having a tattoo done and my opinion is that the legal age should be raised to 21.