A Barnsley tattooist has inked an original piece of a notorious criminal’s artwork on a woman’s back.

Chris Sanders, who runs Storm tattoo on Old Mill Lane, wrote to Charles Bronson about a year ago because he admires his artwork and asked for a piece to display in his shop.

Charles didn’t send one back, but recently Chris met Karen Marsden, 38, of Castleford, who runs a website campaigning for Charles to be freed from prison. She has been writing to Charles, who is often referred to as the most violent prisoner in Britain, for 13 years.

Karen said that if Charles sent a piece of his artwork to Chris she’d have it tattooed on her back to show her support in trying to get him free from prison and raising money for his legal costs.

Charles was imprisoned in 1974 for armed robbery and over the years his sentence has been extended due to his behaviour. Chris said: “It was a privilege. It’s a one-off event trying to copy someone’s art.

“I’ve been analysing it for about four weeks, right down to the last detail, to turn it into stencils and put on the skin.

“It’s quite a complex piece of art that he sent me.”

The original artwork, which is signed by Charles and came with a personal note, is now framed in Storm.

Chris said he admired the artwork and said the one he has ‘is a masterpiece’. Karen said: “I’ve been writing to Charlie for 13 years and it’s just a case of thinking of something different to support him.

“He is due for parole in February.”

Karen, who met Charles’ relatives last week, said she wanted to do all she could to help support Charles. Chris’s wife Sherry Sanders said: “He hasn’t murdered anybody. I didn’t know much about him before but the more I get to know Karen the more I am learning about him.

“People might not agree with it all but this is to make people realise about Charlie’s case.”

Money raised will also go to Cancer Research UK and the Huntingdon’s Disease Association.