A PENSIONER was left permanently scarred by an unlicensed acupuncturist.

The elderly woman was left in “excruciating pain” after she visited Yao Wenxia’s acupuncture firm in Horsham town centre.

Wenxia, 47, was found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act when she appeared at Worthing Magistrates Court.

She was fined more than £5,700 for the breach.

The woman hoped to relieve her hip pain but instead suffered a “serious debilitating burn” when she visited the business on August 18, 2017.

Horsham District Council brought the case against Wenxia.

The acupuncturist, of Common Wealth Drive, Crawley, was also given a 26-week suspended prison sentence.

Horsham health chief Cllr Tricia Youtan called the case “extremely shocking”.

“Putting the public’s health and safety first is key for us as a council and we take offences like this very seriously,” she said.

“It is heartening that courts share our views.

“This was an extremely shocking case.”