A Poole woman who thought she had "Mum" tattooed in Chinese symbols on her back has spoken of her shock at being told it actually read "Friend Come Hell."

Mum-of-one Charlene Williams, of Canford Heath, had the tattoo done on her lower back four years ago.

The 19-year-old was perfectly happy with the three-symbol design until last week when it was spotted by a Chinese woman.

She said: "I was just bending over to my little girl and this woman came in and started screaming Evil, evil - very bad!' She added: "It was awful. I can laugh now but at the time I was fuming. For four years I was walking around with that.

"I'm upset as well as angry because it was for my mum. And it was just such a shock when this lady started saying Evil' at me."

Fortunately Charlene was in Hamworthy tattoo parlour Just Add Ink at the time where her cousin was having a tattoo done - so she was able to have it covered over straight away.

The offending design has now disappeared under large flowers topped with her six-month-old daughter's name, Katelyn.

Dr Feelgood's Tattoo Studio, Grand Parade, High Street, Poole, did the original tattoo.

Owner Ann Turner, known as HB, said she couldn't speak or read Chinese. Tattoo artists used the internet and information from trade stands for such designs.

She said: "I think it's where you start writing out words with symbols it goes wrong - it doesn't translate."

She added: "We do really, really try to get it right."