A mother has drawn inspiration from a fridge magnet to design a fitting tattoo in tribute to her Army recruit son.

Mo Beacon, from Tolworth, decided she wanted to do something for Help the Heroes as her 22-year-old son, Michael, prepares to leave for Afghanistan in September for his second tour of duty there.

After buying merchandise off the charity’s website, she sat in her garden and pondered the perfect way to mark the work of the charity and the soldiers.

Then she remembered a magnet on her fridge and decided to take it to a tattoo parlour in Chessington on Sunday to have it inked on her arm.

She said: “I want it to be a surprise for my son. He’ll love it. I wanted to get a tattoo because it's a permanent thing.

“My partner told me I wasn’t allowed any more tattoos but when I told him what it was for he said OK. It’s scary to have son in the Army, he joined about three years ago and you do worry.”

Dave Lyeach of Nu-clear Tattoos said he was proud to be asked to do the tattoo although he described copying a fridge magnet as an “unusual” request.

He said: “I was thrilled to be asked. My daughter is going out with someone from the Army and I get quite a few squaddies in here for tattoos.

“They are a brave bunch and they are only kids at the end of the day, all doing their bit, so they deserve a bit of back up. I was pleased to help.”

Do you have any unusual tattoos? Let us know at surreycomet.co.uk