A TATTOO studio which was “ripped apart” for emergency gas works has lost more than £5,000 because of the impact on the business.

Owners Carl and Kerry Collinson were evacuated from Urban Image after engineers measured “highly explosive” gas levels in the tattoo parlour and their flat above.

They were woken up at 11pm by the sound of a power drill boring a hole into the side of their house and the engineers have since knocked down a wall and part of their ceiling.

Kerry who organised the Jurassic Coast tattoo convention along with her husband, said: “The noise of the drill scared the life out of me because we have no idea they were going to start the work.

“Our whole house and studio had been ripped apart and the cellar wall has been destroyed. It has completely wrecked the business because we haven’t been able to have any customers for over a week.

Southern Gas Network was called to Kinson Road on January 3 following a report of a smell of gas and they have been monitoring the property to ensure the safety of the occupants.

There has also been a lack of parking in the area because of the closure of Kinson Road and nearby Columbia Road. Carl said: “It has been a nightmare because there has been absolutely no parking for the last month and the lack of information has been frustrating.

“We will have to pay for all this work in advance, so on top of the £5,000 loss in revenue we will also have huge refurbishment costs.”

Hannah Brett, spokesperson for Southern Gas Networks, said: “We do appreciate roadworks can be frustrating and we would like to apologise to local residents, road-users and traders for any inconvenience.

“Safety is our number one priority and we would like to thank everyone for their ongoing patience as we work to complete these repairs as quickly as possible.”