Permanent: The flower-shaped tattoo has left a vivid burn mark on Charlie's arm The incident took place when Charlie and his seven-year-old sister Olivia were taken on the Latimer's annual 10-day holiday to Lagos. The family flew out on August 19, but disaster struck when Charlie sat for the 15-minute henna tattoo of a red flower on August 27.Henna, a natural plant extract, fades within 10 days and is usually completely harmless. But some unscrupulous artists mix henna with a cheap hair dye paraphenylenediamine, or PPD, which can burn the skin. Charlie's skin began peeling within days of their return to the UK and he was given a course of antibiotics. When his condition failed to improve, his mother and father John, 34, rushed him to Bath's Royal United Hospital where he was kept in overnight.

Disaster: Charlie's skin began bleeding and blistering after he had the 15-minute tattoo from a street artist while on holiday in Lagos, Portugal Dr Chris Lovell, a consultant dermatologist at the hospital, said parents should be aware of the dangers henna poses. He said: 'Under European rules, it is illegal to use PPD in henna tattoos and most professional salons use pure henna, which rarely causes allergies.'But these rules are not always enforced and people getting their tattoos on beaches and in some developing countries, where the controls are less strict, are at greater risk.