Portsmouth tattoo artist left £1,500 out of pocket after his studio is broken into

Veteran tattoo artist Simon Bishop, 58, went to Kolours Tattoo Studio in Kingston Road, Portsmouth, this morning – only to find that his studio had been broken into and trashed.

Among items stolen are a power pack, a copier and almost two dozen ink bottles, totalling around £1,500.

Mr Bishop, who has been a tattoo artist for 30 years, says the theft is a huge loss for his trade.

He said: ‘Whoever stole my stuff smashed the window and climbed through the front door.

‘The other side of the shop where other guys are working was okay – there was even money left out but it appears whoever did this was specifically targeting me.

‘I don’t quite understand it.’

Mr Bishop is hoping that whoever was responsible for this is brought to justice.

‘I feel violated,’ he said.

‘It’s happened to me before and it’s just so frustrating – it’s like being put right back to square one.

‘To know that someone went out specifically for my kit, prying open my cabinet and taking whatever they wanted is an awful feeling.’

The theft has put Mr Bishop out of action today – but he is hoping to be back in business by tomorrow, and has reported the incident to the police.

A spokesman from Hampshire Constabulary said: ‘It happened sometime overnight from 5pm yesterday until 4.30am this morning.

‘The door appears to have been forced after a window smashed at the shop to get in, and some items were stolen.

‘We are investigating the incident.’

Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101, quoting the crime reference number 44190134705.