The hidden Greater Manchester tattoo studio producing some of the world's most daring designs

Walk along one of the busiest streets in Ashton-under-Lyne and you won't even realise it is there. Tucked away inside an inconspicuous Cavendish Street building, hidden above the offices of a construction company, is a studio producing some of the world's most creative and impressive tattoos.

Award-winning tattooist Dean Gunther began to follow his dream when he realised he hated working in sales at a young age. He turned to art, before focusing on tattooing, and left South Africa to further his career in the UK.

Now, the 34-year-old is earning a reputation as one of the country's most daring and talented tattooists. From quirky designs like trainers on a man's feet and a six-pack on a beer belly, to visually stunning realism based on nature and fantasy, Dean is winning an army of fans on social media and customers have flown in from around the world to be inked by him.

READ MORE: There’s a secret garden less than an hour’s drive from Manchester and it’s absolutely stunning

But the gifted artist, who lives in Hyde, admits his life wouldn't be quite the same if he hadn't made the decision to stop drinking almost five years ago. "I used to ride for a bike club at home," Dean told the Manchester Evening News .

"I used to hang out at rallies every weekend, and being a young artist - at 21 years old - I was earning good money. At that time I was still young so I was partying a lot.

"When I came to the UK, I left everything behind. I'm still in contact with my friends, but it gave me a break to get away from everything.

"I was constantly surrounded by parties, people would just stop by my house and we'd always drink. So when I came to the UK, I was here for six months and I quit the drink for good.

"It was just another