A LEOMINSTER woman was left with a 'hole' in her arm after using a £15 DIY tattoo removal kit to erase her ex-boyfriend's name.

Jess Hardy, 23, turned to the internet to find a cheaper DIY 'fix' to get rid of the ink she regretted.

But the solution, which was later found to contain an ingredient used in smoke grenades, caused severe damage and has left part of her arm completely numb.

Her story is to be featured on TV tonight as part of a BBC Inside Out West Midlands investigation which discovered banned ingredients in tattoo removal kits.

“It felt like someone had poured like something flammable on my arm, lit it then poured a kettle on it," Miss Hardy told the programme.

“I’m shocked that it was a proper tattoo removal. The someone has actually sold that… I want my arm back, my normal arm.”

Tests carried out by the University of Birmingham showed the solution Miss Hardy was using on her bare skin contained TCA or Trichloroacetic acid which is a banned substance under European law and shouldn’t be sold at all.

It also found a mystery bonus ingredient Hexachloroethane – formerly used to make smoke grenades.

Clinical dermatologist Dr Sean Lanigan told the programme: “It’s highly likely to cause severe burns, quite possibly result in permanent scarring. It’s also very unlikely to remove the tattoo."

The programme will be aired tonight at 7.30pm on BBC1.