Trafford Council has shut down an illegal home tattoo studio in Stretford, having been successful in obtaining a closure order on the property.
Trafford Council’s Environmental Health team, with assistance from the Community Safety and Trading Standards teams and Greater Manchester Police, successfully executed a search warrant following several complaints regarding a property in Stretford.
The home had been the subject of several complaints in relation to tattooing, including infections and failure to deliver appointments after deposits had been paid. Previously, the Environmental Health team had tried to contact the owner of the property to invite him to apply as a registered tattoo artist. These requests were ignored.
Tattooing can be dangerous if it’s not carried out in a hygienic manner, so it was really important that the complaints were dealt with in a timely manner.
Upon arriving at the property, the teams seized and removed items that were related to illegal tattooing.
Now, the Community Safety team has been granted a closure order on the property, to prevent any further harm being caused to residents and visitors hoping to get their tattoos.
A Trafford Council spokesperson commented:
“If you are getting something as permanent as a tattoo, you want to know that the tattooist is qualified and registered, to ensure that you do not encounter any complications with the artwork. This is a great example of how, by working in partnership across council teams and the police, we can help to prevent unfair and potentially dangerous activities being carried out at a domestic premises. Thank you to all the teams involved in helping to achieve this great result for members of the public.”
Anyone who is concerned about a potentially illegal tattoo artist, or wants to check if their artist is registered, can email Environmental.health@trafford.gov.uk.