Alice Webb, a 33-year-old mother of five from Gloucestershire, died in hospital after becoming unwell following a liquid Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedure in September 2024. Her former partner, Ben Kingscote, said she would never have undergone the treatment if she had known that the practitioner, Jordan Parke, had already been banned from performing liquid BBLs in two other parts of England. The case has highlighted what critics call a dangerous patchwork of local enforcement in the UK, where a practitioner prohibited in one area can simply move to another and continue working.
A liquid BBL is a non-surgical cosmetic procedure in which dermal fillers are injected into the buttocks to alter their size or shape. Unlike a surgical BBL, which involves fat transfer, liquid BBLs use injectable fillers. They are considered high-risk because fillers can enter blood vessels and cause blockages, leading to tissue death, stroke, or even death. Jordan Parke, known online as the "Lip King", had appeared on television shows to talk about his work. Concerns about his practice were first raised in Dudley in 2019. Dudley Council issued a prohibition order in 2023 preventing him from carrying out liquid BBL procedures in the area. A second prohibition order was issued in Salford in February 2024. Despite these local bans, Parke continued offering the procedure in Gloucester, where Alice Webb died. Parke was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but died in February 2025 in an unrelated incident after undergoing a cosmetic procedure himself.
“Alice Webb's death after a liquid BBL reveals how local bans fail to stop dangerous practitioners from working elsewhere in the UK.”
The regulatory gap that allowed this to happen stems from the way cosmetic procedures are governed in the UK. While surgical procedures and the use of prescription-only medicines are regulated, non-surgical treatments like dermal fillers are not. There is no national register of practitioners, no mandatory training or qualification, and no single body with the power to issue a nationwide ban. Instead, local councils can issue prohibition orders under consumer protection laws, but those orders only apply within their own boundaries. Practitioners can easily move to another area and continue working, as happened in Parke's case. Kingscote called for a national system to prevent practitioners operating elsewhere, saying: “If a procedure is dangerous in one part of the country it’s dangerous in every part.”
For UK readers, the risks are immediate. Anyone considering a liquid BBL or other non-surgical cosmetic procedure has no way of checking whether their practitioner has been banned elsewhere. The treatment is widely marketed on social media and often offered at lower prices than surgical alternatives, making it accessible but also more dangerous. There is no legal requirement for practitioners to carry insurance, and complaints must be pursued through local trading standards, which vary in resources and expertise. The case has prompted the Department of Health and Social Care to announce that ministers will consult on tougher measures covering high-risk cosmetic procedures, including liquid BBLs. But until those measures are in place, the responsibility remains on consumers to vet practitioners, a task made almost impossible by the lack of a central database.
Q: What is a liquid BBL and why is it dangerous? A liquid BBL involves injecting dermal fillers into the buttocks to change their shape or size. It is risky because if filler enters a blood vessel, it can block blood flow, causing serious complications like tissue death, stroke, or death.
Q: Why can't practitioners be banned nationwide? There is no national regulatory body for non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Local councils can issue prohibition orders under consumer law, but these only apply within their own area. A practitioner banned in one place can legally work elsewhere in the UK.
Q: What can I do to stay safe if I want a cosmetic procedure? Check that the practitioner is registered with a recognised professional body (like the General Medical Council for doctors or the Nursing and Midwifery Council for nurses). Ask about their training, qualifications, and insurance. Avoid practitioners who offer discounts or pressure you into a quick decision. The NHS advises that non-surgical procedures should only be carried out by qualified healthcare professionals.
The government has promised a consultation on tougher measures for high-risk cosmetic procedures, but no timeline has been given. Meanwhile, the coroner for Gloucestershire said Alice Webb's inquest would likely take place in front of a jury in the autumn of 2025. For now, her death remains a stark warning of what can happen when a practitioner moves from one banned area to another, with no national system to stop them.
