Health watchdog Helen Wheeler is demanding action against rogue body piercers who often leave clients frostbitten, deformed and poisoned.

She said many piercers with no safety training were operating legally in Oxford using £20 kits that could be bought across the counter.

She has been told of some who pierce young children in the city.

Mrs Wheeler, the city's occupational health technician, said: "There is no such thing as a licence for body piercers and there are probably many working out of bedrooms with ear-piercing kits you can buy from hairdressing suppliers." A survey has revealed for the first time that 95 per cent of GPs have had to deal with medical complications arising from the fad.

Problems include infections, blood poisoning, bleeding, disfigurement and even frostbite. Hundreds have ended up in hospital.

The dramatic results of the survey have renewed calls for the Government to regulate the industry. Outside London, anyone can legally set themselves up as a body piercer, with no training, said the study by Bury and Rochdale Health Authority. The study was carried out to discover the extent of the problem after a rush of complaints.

Leroy Benons, consultant for communicable disease control in Bury, said: "The disfigurements and infections doctors are seeing are an indicator of poor practice."

Although ear-piercing was regulated in the early 1970s, body-piercing was rare at the time and remains uncontrolled by law. Mr Benons said: "People go on a one-week course, buy a kit for £100 on the Internet, and they are doing surgery, which is what it is.

"A lot of these companies don't even have insurance, and they're disfiguring people for life. They are also piercing kids as young as 12, without parental consent, legally."

The city council can only prosecute cowboy piercers under the Health And Safety At Work Act if they receive a complaint. Many people are reluctant to display their injuries in court. Mrs Wheeler said: "We want at least the level of protection that somebody would have as far as hygiene is concerned for ear-piercing, acupuncture, tattooing and electrolysis."

Body piercers use a sterilised needle to pierce the flesh and then feed the ring, or stud, through the hole.

Piercers are not allowed to use injected anaesthetics so they often use an ethyl chloride spray to freeze the pierced area, which can result in frostbite.

Story date: Wednesday 10 November

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