A TATTOIST has hit out at the "dangerous" DIY kits being snapped up by amateurs over the internet and says it is time to change the law.

Chris Cougar is retired after more than 40 years in the tattoo industry but still holds a licence at Church of Ink in Monmouth.

The number of tattoo parlours has rocketed in those 40 or so years, from an estimated 100 in the UK when he set out to around 2,000 registered studios today.

"I talk to a lot of professionals and it is thought that for every licenced studio there are five doing it in their own homes," said Chris.

Amateurs buying kits over the internet and setting up at home are a real worry to Chris.

"There are a lot of good artists out there who think because they can draw, they can tattoo, but the two are very different," he said.

for the full story, see this week's Monmouthshire Beacon