News that regulations around ear-piercing in Wales are due to change has led a high street jeweller to call for the Welsh Government to think again before it’s too late.

Andrew Hinds is chairman of one of the UK’s largest and most historic jewellers, F Hinds, which opened in 1856 and has 118 stores across the UK, including in Newport and Cwmbran.

He said: “We fear for the future of safe, legal ear piercing in Wales. We’ve been providing this service in our stores for well over 50 years, using a safe, sterile system manufactured to medical grade standards which has enabled us to pierce the ears of tens of thousands of customers safely.

“Our fully trained piercers, many with years of experience, take all the necessary precautions so our customers feel completely safe.

"We think it’s vital that all businesses are bound by strict Health & Safety regulations as this protects us all as consumers. However, if regulations are so extreme that they mean responsible operators can no longer offer a service that they provide safely, the result is that shoppers will either have to travel further afield to England or will be charged more by the few remaining providers. 

“Alternatively, they will choose to go underground, either to unregistered piercers who may not to comply with any regulations, or they will try to pierce their ears themselves, either with kits available online or even worse with unsterilised needles, which we are told already happens and has a high risk of infection which can lead to a visit to hospital.

“This legislation is well-intentioned but, at least so far as piercing is concerned, will have the opposite effect on public safety from the one intended.

“It will add cost and reduce convenience for shoppers, while disadvantaging Welsh retailers at the expense of both their English counterparts and unregulated online operators.

“Amazingly, it seems shops and online operators will be allowed to sell piercing studs to customers for them to try to pierce themselves, despite having no training or experience, but we would never do this as it would be totally unprofessional and dangerous."