Contaminated needles and clinical waste found at illegal tattoo studio

As if by some sort of surprise, news reports tell of contaminated needles and clinical waste found at an illegal tattoo studio in Devon.

A Devon council has successfully closed an illegal tattoo shop after environmental health officers discovered contaminated and discarded needles and clinical waste.

Adam Jones, of Winner Street in Paignton, was found guilty of tattooing at an unregistered studio in Church Street, Paignton at Torquay Magistrates Court.

He was fined £1,000, ordered to pay £120 costs and £120 victim surcharge in his absence.

After receiving complaints about the illegal tattoo studio, environmental health officers from Torbay Council went to investigate.

Among the evidence found were contaminated and discarded needles, clinical waste and other tattooing related items.

A council spokesman said people who want to run a legitimate tattoo business must register with the local authority.

He said: “Registered businesses are subjected to regular inspection in order to maintain high hygiene standards. By using an unregistered tattoo studio, the public run the risk of serious infection from poor and unhygienic practices and harm to the wider community.”

Illegal and unlicensed tattooists are apparently quite common, though inevitably most are unknown to regulators. EHO’s will regulate, but first there needs some sort of problem such as inappropriate disposal of wastes causing complaints or, worse, an outbreak of infection. If not, these establishments that may be little more than a bedroom enterprise, are likely to stay hidden.