SEEING as I’m not feeling the need to rant about the education system (I did well in my GCSEs – so for this week, Michael Gove can rest easy) I’ve decided to raise the issue of tattoos.

Specifically, the very large rose tattoo that now dominates Cheryl Cole’s derriere.

I’m not sure anyone’s bum has ever been so controversial on Twitter – it’s got everyone talking. A testament to freedom of choice, or a display of selfharm – I’m not sure.

Huge tattoos aren’t really my thing. I don’t find them attractive and I don’t believe girls who say they don’t mind Justin Bieber’s tattoo of his mother’s eye on his arm.

However, I don’t find Chezza’s roses particularly offensive They’re on her bum – not somewhere conspicuous.

In fact, had her tattoo artist not taken a picture, none of us would be any the wiser that she had even got such a large inking.

Even if Cheryl’s tattoo was across her face, I don’t feel like it would be our place to judge it as inappropriate.

However, I can understand some people’s concern. The tattoo is large and is alleged to have been very expensive. Why has the nation’s sweetheart chosen to cover her skin so completely?

My mum would go mental if I even proposed getting anything so drastic, and especially if I came up with Cheryl’s “it wasn’t for any particular reason, I just liked the design”.

I wouldn’t ever want a future daughter of mine to ink herself to that extent – I would hate to think that she would have to cover her body in tattoos to make herself feel good about the way she looks.

However, Cheryl Cole is 30 years old and in a seemingly normal frame of mind.

She can make her own choices, no matter how that offends others.

In today’s society, we can wear what we want, dye our hair whatever colour we want – it’s all down to personal choice.

The parental intervention that newspapers are suggesting should have occurred in Cheryl’s case would have towed a very fine line –would stopping her from getting that tattoo have been an act of oppression or an act of care?

Just because it’s not to my taste, it doesn’t mean I would want to stop someone from doing what they want to their own body.

If she has knowingly and willingly chosen that tattoo, we should let Cheryl get on with it... and hope for her sake that this is the last tattoo of her collection.