A YORK body piercer who holds a Europe-wide recognised professional qualification has called for new legislation to control the body art business.

Jon Archibald, who runs York Body Piercing Clinic, in Micklegate, says the fact that piercers can start work with no qualifications is "a disgrace".

He said: "There is a two-day piercing course people can do before starting up. There are some people who start without going on any course at all.

"If you want to, you can start piercing people tomorrow and there are no rules or legislation to stop you from doing it.

"I want to see legislation brought in to get piercing properly regulated, and have written to Hugh Bayley (York's MP) telling him that.

"It would be good for piercing and it would be good for the public."

Jon has been piercing for nine years, and pierces no one under 16 - or 18 if they want an "intimate piercing".

He qualified under, and is a member of, the European Professional Piercers' Association (EPPA), and works in a sterilised studio with one-use, sterilised equipment.

Gaining the qualification took three years work under an EPPA member, working through beginner, intermediate and advanced stages, before a fourth and final year and the tough EPPA examination. He said: "The training is very stringent. At first it is all theory, you don't go anywhere near a human being. Eventually you move onto meat, then models, but only when your trainer is satisfied you are ready and even then under strict supervision. It worries me that there are people out there who haven't had training, I think they are a danger to the public and the sooner legislation is brought in the better."

Jon's tips for anyone visiting a piercing studio are:

Check how long the piercer has been working and who they trained under

Check if a telephone number to contact the piercer's trainer is available

Check if the equipment is one use only

Check if the studio is sterile, if it can be inspected, and that there are no porous materials in it

Check the piercer has an autoclave sterilisation unit with a service certificate.

Environmental health officer Dawn Webster backed Jon's call.

Some piercings amounted to "minor surgery", she said, and so she was anxious to see specific legislation or a licensing system introduced.

She said: "We do carry out inspections at places such as body piercing clinics, but we fully agree with Mr Archibald, targeted legislation is an excellent idea."

Updated: 11:37 Friday, December 13, 2002