Council bosses in England and Wales have warned that illegal unlicensed tattoo parlours are leaving customers at risk of contracting HIV and hepatitis.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said that such operators, working in homes, garden sheds, pubs and clubs, were more likely to carry out inadequate sterilisation methods and use substandard equipment.
It said that people were being tempted to visit unlicensed establishments as a result of cheap deals, but are leaving themselves vulnerable to developing serious skin disorders, hepatitis or HIV.
Figures released by the LGA point to more than 1,500 licensed tattoo parlours in the UK, with almost three in 10 people between the ages of 25 and 34 having one tattoo or more.
The LGA’s chairman of the Safer and Stronger Communities Board, Mehboob Khan, said: “Unlicensed tattooists and parlours continue to operate across the country in an unscrupulous bid to cash in on the growing popularity of body art.
“People looking for a cheap tattoo by using them run the real danger of picking up a serious infection such as hepatitis or HIV or permanent scarring from botched procedures that are often delivered by these dangerous imposters.”
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, tattooists without a license will face up to two years in jail with unlimited fines and local authorities permitted to confiscate all equipment.
If you have been the victim of negligence from a tattoo artist, Russell Worth may be able to help. Give us a call today on 0800 028 2060 or visit our website www.mercurylegal.co.uk. You can also contact us at any time via our Facebook and Twitter pages.