A group of tattoo artists are calling for tougher regulations to be introduced to prevent people convicted of violent and sexual crimes from entering the profession.
Tattooists Natasha Thompson and Matthew Castle, from Nottingham, are among the founders of the “Draw the Line” project, which is campaigning for mandatory DBS checks for tattoo artists in England.
The checks are already a requirement in Wales after being introduced in 2024 as part of wider health and safety reforms for the tattoo industry. However it is not mandatory in England.
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
To obtain a tattoo license as an individual artist in England, you must apply to your local council to register yourself and your premises before paying a registration fee at the rate set by the local authority.
A council officer will then inspect the venue to ensure you comply with health and safety regulations but there is no need to carry out background checks on individual performers.
This differs from the system in Wales, which was updated in November 2024 to introduce stricter hygiene rules and mandatory DBS checks for tattoos.
The Welsh government said the checks allowed local authorities to see if an applicant had any unspent convictions or “relevant” offences, with those facing additional scrutiny.
The Draw The Line campaign is arguing for the rules in Wales to be enforced in England.
Mr Castle, who is 37, said the existing regulations were “too lax” and allowed anyone to “pick up a tattoo machine and start a business”.
Matthew Castle says the industry needs more regulation [BBC]
He and Miss Thompson have co-owned Bleeding Hearts Tattoo Studio in Bakersfield since 2024 and have been tattooing for over six years.
The couple argue that people with a history of serious violent or sexual offenses should not be able to get a tattoo license and hope that mandatory DBS checks will prevent this.
They petitioned the government for the changes, along with others from across England, including Wigan-based tattoo artist Gemma May Farrimond.
Their petition currently has 5,000 signatures, with 100,000 needed to be debated in Parliament.
Miss Farrimond, who says she was previously attacked by a tattoo artist, was publishing on social media asking for stricter regulations in the industry.
She said Bleeding Hearts engaged with her posts, and the three of them decided to develop the campaign.
“When I got in touch with [Bleeding Hearts]got a group of us together and there was more range and momentum,” she said.
“This campaign doesn’t just impact tattoo artists. Your son or daughter could be tattooed by someone dangerous – it impacts the public as a whole.”
Ashley Lilleyman was jailed for more than six years after sexually assaulting clients [Nottinghamshire Police]
Mr Castle said the “necessary push” to launch the petition came when Ashley Lilleyman, 30, a tattoo artist based in Mansfield and Chesterfield, was found guilty of 14 counts of sexual assault against a number of his clients.
He was sentenced to six years and four months in prison in August.
Mr Castle said the news came as a shock to him.
“I was thinking about it [the campaign] for a while, but hearing an incident like that happen so close to home – it made it feel so real,” he said.
“As a man, you want your clients to feel as safe as possible, but knowing that there are people who get tattoos with bad intentions… it’s scary.
“We are in a perceived position of power as tattoo artists, and that needs to be respected.”
‘Customers are vulnerable’
Miss Thompson, 31, said she hoped the DBS checks could keep people like Lilleyman out of the industry.
“When you’re getting a tattoo, it’s a vulnerable experience for clients, especially in intimate placements,” she said.
“You could be getting a tattoo on your thighs or your sternum and chest. You’re exposed in that situation, and you want to feel safe.”
She said DBS checks were necessary requirements in other professions and tattoos should be no different.
“If you are a nurse, a care worker or a teacher, you need these controls because you are dealing with vulnerable people,” she said. “The same should be true for tattoos.
“We are not trying to penalize people who have been found guilty of crimes that are not relevant, or someone who made a small mistake as a child.
“We are focusing on certain types of crimes that threaten the safety of customers. Then the Councils can make their decision on whether to offer a license to an artist with [previous convictions].”
Natasha Thompson believes that tattooists should have DBS checks like other professions [Supplied]
It is not only the customers who are being tattooed who are at risk of abuse.
Siobhan, who gave her name and chose to remain anonymous, told the BBC she was sexually assaulted after being offered an apprenticeship by a tattooist in Berkshire in 2011.
On her first day as an apprentice, she expected to enter a busy studio, but instead, she found herself in an empty shop.
“We go to the studio, and he locked the doors behind us. It was just me and him,” she said.
“As soon as those doors were locked, that’s it. [He started] I twist my hair… I catch it. Holding me to the wall by my throat.
“He went to put his hands on my underwear, and at that point I jumped. The flight, the fear and the freezing started.”
Siobhan said she was sexually assaulted on her first day as an apprentice [BBC]
Siobhan, who was 19 at the time, also remembers that the artist described his behavior towards other apprentices in detail.
“He told me about his previous apprentices, girls, and how he had”[sexual acts] on tap” and that he had certain expectations from the trainees,” she said.
“I’m pretty sure he was there mentioning me having sex with him on the tattoo bed. I wasn’t there for that. I really wanted that internship. He was just happy to take advantage.”
Siobhan reported the incident to Thames Valley Police but the force said the investigation was dropped due to “insufficient evidence”.
Reflecting on her experience, Siobhan says she feels there are not enough checks on tattoo artists and the lack of regulation has made it a “wild west”.
Eleanor Bishop and Natalie Murtagh work at Siren Studio in Nottingham [BBC]
Siren Studio is a tattoo studio in Sneinton made up exclusively of women and non-binary artists.
Eleanor Bishop runs the space and said the majority of their clients come to them because they are worried about getting a tattoo elsewhere.
“So many of our clients have come to us saying they’ve had negative experiences with tattoo artists,” she said.
“If it’s uncomfortable to be touched, to get a tattoo they didn’t want, and in some cases, to be sexually assaulted.
“We are aware of tattoo artists who have been convicted of serious crimes, who then open a studio in a different city under a new name, and can continue tattooing.”
“DBS controls should stop this from happening. Why wouldn’t you want your customers to be safe? I don’t think [the checks] they are a problem unless you have something to hide.”
Miss Thompson said she believed the DBS checks would set the industry in the “right direction”.
“Will DBS checks fix everything? No, but they are a start,” she said.
“They are a great first step in tackling these issues, and making it safer for artists, apprentices and customers.”
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
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