THOUSANDS flocked to a Hampshire stadium to get inked at a renowned tattoo festival.

There were vintage trades, performers, dance troupes, tattooists from across the country and live music at the Southampton Tattoo Festival last weekend.

More than 6,000 people enjoyed the family fun day at the Ageas Bowl.

This year the event, organised by Yellow Vintage, celebrated its fourth anniversary.

Nathan Alexander, one of the organisers, said: “It’s a very family-friendly event. It’s good to have this event in the community, it brings people together. There’s something for everyone. It’s not just tattoo but also live music and lots of activities. There’s a lot going on even if you are not interested in tattoo.”

More than 100 tattoo artists from around the country took part in the event.

Tyson Taylor, 50, a tattooist from London, said: “Events like this are a good platform for those who don’t like tattoo because they can come around and meet us and maybe they can become more interested in tattoo. I think tattoo is a good form of expressing yourself.”