Illegal tattooists are offering ink designs at "pocket money" prices to children and putting people at risk of contracting hepatitis and HIV, council leaders warn today.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils, says unlicensed tattooists - also known as "scratchers"- are using cheap equipment bought online in makeshift, unsterilised home 'studios', which are often just kitchens or garden sheds.

As council environmental health teams carry out raids and prosecute illegal tattooists, the LGA is urging online retailers to provide warnings to children on the dangers of using DIY tattoo kits – which can be bought for less than £25 – and for tougher sentences for illegal tattooists.

Although you have to be 18 to have a tattoo or tattoo someone else, it is not illegal to tattoo yourself.

Fuelled by celebrity culture, tattoos remain popular with nearly one in three (29 per cent) of people aged 25-34 in the UK said to have at least one tattoo and more than 1,500 licensed tattoo parlours in the UK.

But unregistered tattooists are undercutting legitimate tattooists by offering cut-price deals, taking dangerous short-cuts with health and safety, and advertising their services on social media.

Illegal tattooists and DIY tattoo kits can also provide an avenue for under-18s to get a cheap tattoo, as they cannot access regulated premises.

Anyone using an illegal tattooist is not only at greater risk of blood borne infections such as hepatitis and HIV, they are more likely to get a bad tattoo, which requires expensive removal or cover-up procedure.

Cllr Morris Bright, Vice Chairman of the LGA's Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said:

"Illegal tattooists operating under the radar pose a real danger to people's health as they often have low hygiene standards which could put your life at risk.

"They can use unsterilised equipment that seriously increases the risk of spreading diseases such as hepatitis or HIV, and causing permanent, ugly scarring. Unregulated tattooists are also associated with bad tattoos, which require expensive work to put right, and because they've been done illegally, you won't have normal customers' rights.

"These unregistered tattooists are undermining legitimate businesses and are often willing to illegally tattoo children by tempting them with pocket money prices, which can cause damage that lasts a lifetime.

"This issue is becoming more rife as people set up businesses from home and tattoo equipment is becoming more widely available and cheaper on the internet.

"We are urging young people under 18 and adults not to visit illegal tattooists or tattoo their friends or themselves using cheap tattoo equipment obtained online because the health risks are too great and there may be safeguarding concerns about the premises they are visiting. Online retailers also need to do much more to warn about the dangers.

"Prospective tattooists should register with their local council who can provide advice on legal requirements and appropriate hygiene practices.

"Anyone getting a tattoo should make sure they check both the premises and tattooist is registered. We would also encourage anyone who has visited an unregistered tattooist to seek medical advice from their GP and report the parlour to their local authority."