A NORTH-EAST hairdresser turned himself into a human pincushion when he was given 600 piercings to break the world record last night.

In a stomach-churning exercise lasting more than eight-and-a-half hours, Kam Ma barely flinched as he far surpassed the current world record of 227 piercings in one sitting.

The piercings, carried out by Charlie Wilson of Sunderland Body Art, raised about £1,000 for British Red Cross.

Kam, 28, a regular customer at the studio, said he and Charlie had come up with the idea just before Christmas and it took them until now to complete the preparation.

Kam, of Sunderland, underwent a medical to ensure he was healthy enough and he took vitamin C and zinc tablets to help his skin heal quickly.

Overlooked by adjudicators for the Guinness Book of Records and independent witnesses, including first aid workers, piercing started at 9am and by just past noon the record was broken. The result has yet to be ratified as a record.

Charlie ran out of needles at 580 piercings and the last 20 were completed with a thicker gauge.

Charlie said: "There was always the fear that he could go into shock, but he never even flinched."

Close on hand was his mother Pauline Ma, who said: "I don't like it personally, but he is old enough to make his own decisions. He is in safe hands. These people know what they are doing."

Red Cross fundraiser Kelly Knighting said the organisation was happy to accept the cash raised.

She said: "We will accept donations from anyone - no matter how crazy the things they want to do to raise it - as long as it is legal."

Filling a glass of champagne to celebrate, Kam said: "It feel great. I could have kept on going.