HYGIENE and quality are top of the list at Blue Lotus, which specialises in professional body piercing and custom tattoos.

Nigel Knight, owner and senior piercer, has been working in Worcester as a full-time professional for more than 10 years. He moved from Golden Apple six years ago to open a studio in The Hopmarket. Three years ago it expanded to include a new reception/sterilisation room and a separate tattoo studio.

"All piercings and tattoos are undertaken in separate studios," said Mr Knight. "With a dedicated team of both male and female piercers we offer a high quality and specialist service. We operate a stringent and extensive sterilisation process with all equipment and jewellery firstly subjected to a mechanical cleaning process, then rinsed and bagged before going through a fully automatic vacuum steraliser.

All the needles at Blue Lotus are single use and pre-steralised. Any jewellery used is Titanium 6AL4V - an implantation grade which meets the European nickel directive 94/27/EC.

The studio does not use piercing guns.

As a founder member of the Association Of Professional Piercers, Mr Knight wants to raise standards and he runs his studio to the standard laid down by the association.

To be tattooed, a person must be aged 18 years or over and a photo ID is required - a parent's signature is not legal. For piercing, under 18s must be accompanied by a parent.