Man with tattoo so obscene he nearly got arrested says he has ‘no regrets’
A man with a tattoo so obscene has said police ordered him to cover it up or he would be arrested.
Despite all the drama, Richard Hart, 60, from Swansea, says he has no regrets after he got the controversial tat for his 40th birthday back in 2003.
Inked onto his stomach, it features a naked woman with her legs apart, spanning from just below his chest all the way down to his navel.
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And Richard didn't just choose the image, he actually designed it himself, before taking his work to a local tattoo parlour where artists inked it onto his skin for £55.
The whole thing took four hours and Richard - who said he was inspired by his another similar tattoo - has never looked back.
“I got the idea after seeing the brother of my tattooist with a naked lady on tattooed on him," he said.
“I thought I could go one further. Obviously it is a bit obscene, but it never bothers me.
“The reaction to it varies, it’s either shock, horror, or laughter.”
Due to its graphic nature, Richard got into a spot of bother while on holiday in Spain.
He was asked to cover up the tattoo or be arrested if he failed to comply.
After a bit of back and forth with the authorities, he ended up having to keep his top on for the entire holiday.
“I was in Benidorm and it was boiling hot, I took my top off and two police came and told me to cover up or they would handcuff me," he said.
“We got into a bit of an argument - I had to wear a t-shirt for the rest of the holiday."
Richard's partner Kay, 66, says she isn't fazed by the graphic tat. In fact, Richard says people love it, explaining that over the years he’s had heaps of people asking for a photo.
Of course, some people are shocked by the inking, but Richard says he always covers it up if he's around the grandchildren.
“If I had a pound for everyone who has asked to have a photo with it I’d be a very rich man," he said.
“My partner thinks it’s fine, so do my daughter, Melissa, 38, and my son, Alex, 35 - I do have to cover it up in front of the grandchildren though."
Lucy Devine