Once tattoos were the marks of sailors, scaffolders or convicts.

But today, decorating your body is all the rage, with every walk of life, from teachers to bank managers and politicians to housewives, getting the needle.

Body art fans flocked to Sussex at the weekend to witness exotic images being indelibly etched on people's skins by the world's leading tattoo artists.

Some even went under the needle themselves as they sought to beautify, with coloured ink, what nature gave them.

Organisers estimated about 4,000 fans attended the first Brighton Tattoo Convention at Brighton Racecourse.

More than 130 artists from as far afield as Scandinavia, Canada, America and Eastern Europe, showed off their talents.

They set up stands to display, through photographs and drawings, their ornate designs, while groups of heavily tattooed people showed off their decorated bodies to curious onlookers.

Organiser Woody Blackheart said: "Brighton was the obvious choice for this show because it is so vibrant.

"People have travelled from all over the country to see artists from all over the world, and many stayed in Brighton for the weekend.

"I expected about 2,000 visitors but I think over the course of the weekend there would have been almost double that."

Tattooing originated in Polynesia and was brought to the west in the late 18th century after explorer Captain James Cook dropped anchor at Tahiti.

Leah Moule, 27, of Spear Studio in Birmingham, spent seven hours tattooing the back of a woman who took painkillers to dull the sensation.

She said: "I started as an apprentice in my local studio and have done it ever since because I love the work.

"Tattoos aren't limited to sailors and prisoners any more.

"A school headmaster could have 25 genital piercings and a bank manager could have a full body suit."

Keith Page, 37, from Chester, got Mark Bailey, of the Golden Dragon Tattoo Studio in Chester, to tattoo a design on his lower leg.

He had his first tattoo when he was 16 and believes he will have finished covering his whole body within two years.

Mr Page said: "I still need to get my sleeves, bum cheeks, belly, top legs and inner legs done.

"I have been tattoed by this same artist for the past two and a half years.

"I have had more than 200 hours' of tattooing done. The pain is addictive."

andy.whelan@theargus.co.uk