'I've had my husband's ashes tattooed on me. I'm sure he'd approve'

A lady from my home town had her husbands ashes made into a tattoo.. What a wonderful idea.

Barbara Peterson is tattooed with the ashes of her late husband.

SHE lost her lifelong partner last year and could not bear to be parted from him.

Now, Barbara Peterson has had her late husband Brian's ashes turned into a tattoo.

She hit on the idea after her friend Chris Walker, 67, saw the procedure on an American TV show.

Mrs Peterson, 65, of north Hull, said: "I just thought it was a nice idea. I think Brian would have been quite happy with it.

" I'm sure everyone will have their own opinions, but if you haven't had a bereavement, you don't know how you will feel."

The widow decided to get a blue flower surrounded by swirls tattooed on the side of her right hand.

It is her third tattoo and the first in memory of Mr Peterson, who was 65 when he passed away from cancer last July.

The ashes tattooed onto Mrs Peterson were made into tiny particles and then mixed with ink by Andrew Jamieson, manager of Body Art, in Princes Quay Shopping Centre.

He said: "I have had a few requests about ashes being tattooed on to someone, but this is the first time I've agreed to do it.

"We always try to do new things."

Mr Jamieson said turning ashes into a tattoo was a painstaking process.

He said: "I mixed a small amount of ashes with the ink, but first they were sterilised.

"They are microscopic particles of ashes.

"Luckily, I trained as a chemist, so I was able to work out the best way to do it.

"I wouldn't advise people to try this for themselves – it needs to be a very careful process.

"We need 48 hours notice to be able to do it."

Mrs Peterson was joined by Mrs Walker, of north Hull, who also had Mr Peterson's ashes made into a tattoo.

She said: "I have had stars tattooed onto my left hand. Brian and I were friends for 40 years.

"We all miss him very much."

Tattoo artist Holly Dosdale, who inked the designs on to the two friends, said she thought it was a great idea.

She said: "I have never done this before but I don't have a problem with it.

"I think it's a nice, fitting tribute.

"In terms of tattooing, there is no difference in technique."

Mr Jamieson said he hoped more people would get similar tribute tattoos.

He said: "If it makes people feel happy, then why not.

"I think we are the first in Yorkshire to do this and I'm sure it will catch on.

"It's like anything – at first everyone was very wary of facial piercings but now they are commonplace.

"I think it is something that will divide opinion."

Turning cremation ashes into memorial tattoos is relatively new but has been done several times before in the UK.

Kim Mordue, 50, of South Wales, had her son's ashes tattooed on to her back last year after he collapsed and died after taking a party drug.

The tattoo was done by her husband, who owns a parlour.

Grieving brother and sister Andrew and Helen Bird, of Stoke-on-Trent, had tribute tattoos to their late grandfather last month, after he died of cancer.

Andrew, 27, had an extract from one of former RAF serviceman Reginald Alefs' poems inked on to his arm.

And Helen, 30, had a rose tattooed on to her back.