Of all the appalling sights of the desecration of beauty I have witnessed of late is the epidemic of tattoos on the skin of young women.

There are fads in life that come and go mostly as the result of peer pressure.

Tattoos are for life not just for Christmas.

We are now living in an age of the ephemeral with little thought for the future and the subject matter is a glowing example.

Men have traditionally had their bodies tattooed for centuries to enhance their masculinity or commemorate their involvement in the armed services for example.

The sight of a tattooed lady was largely confined to a side show at the circus and in my opinion probably the best place for it.

There are those of course who wish to honour the memory of a loved one or a new born in ink on their bodies which is understandable to a degree, but most to be frank are hideous scribblings of indelible thoughtlessness which I fear will be an albatross around the necks of the short sighted.

Please, please ladies think before you ink for a thing of real beauty that should be a joy forever could look a bloody mess in time to come.