STUDENTS on a new psychology course in Newport could find themselves just as interested in their lecturer's body as his mind.

Dr Stuart Ross is not your stereotypical university lecturer - the 39-year-old is covered in exotic tattoos.

He told the Argus how he became interested in body art several years ago when he was counselling a tattooist suffering from acute depression. He said: "I found the best way to talk to him was to visit him at his tattoo parlour.

"I noticed that he opened up more as he worked, so I asked him to give me a tattoo - and became hooked on body art after that."

And just as his work led him to tattoos, his passion for tattoos led him back to work.

He said: "It's made me make a study of the various kinds of people who have themselves tattooed and why they do it.

"It's a fascinating subject for a psychologist, and I have discovered the main difference between people who have tattoos and those who don't is that people who have tattoos don't care if you have them or not."

Dr Ross recently joined the University of Wales, Newport, to teach its first psychology course, which begins in September.

He said: "One of the first things I did on moving to Newport to take up my new post was to check out the tattoo parlours - and have a Welsh dragon tattooed on my leg."

He says he expects a good reaction from his new students. He said: "In my everyday professional life my tattoos can't be seen, but if students do catch a glimpse of them when I'm out, most are very positive and interested."

He's confident his course will interest them, too. He said: "The course will appeal to anyone who is interested in the science of the mind.

"Students will take an active part and be prepared to have their views challenged about how and why people behave as they do."