The man whose name was apparently tattooed on the forehead of a homeless person in Benidorm has claimed he had nothing to do with the incident and said the reports are false.
Jamie Blake, 37, has spoken out after pictures of a man named locally as Tomek getting “Jamie Blake, North Shields, N28″ inked on his face prompted outcry.
Pictures were posted on Facebook by the tattooist but were quickly deleted following complaints. It is alleged the group of men paid Tomek £90 to get it done.
Speaking to Chronicle Live, Blake said: “I was not there at the time. There was a big group of around 30 of us drinking in the bar.
“There was a group of Irish lads there as well and Tomek. He isn’t homeless, he lives with my friend and works on the strip.
“I got drunk and was asked to leave the bar. I was never in the tattoo parlour and as far as I know he was not paid any money.”
Blake is originally from Tyneside but moved to Benidorm three months ago to work in the busy tourist strip.
The alleged actions of his stag party sparked numerous complaints from the ex-pat British community.
Karen Cowles, president of the Benidorm British Business Association, said: “What they have done to this man is utterly inhuman and akin to abuse.
“I’m appalled that a group of grown men would take advantage of someone in such a vulnerable position. They have left a human being scarred for the rest of his their life.”
Cowles, who said she knows Tomek, said he is popular in the resort and suffers from back problems after walking all the way from Poland to Spain.
She has started a crowdfunding campaign so he can “receive medical help he much needs”.
On Facebook, she added: “Can I say it was NOT any of the British tattoo studios here.
“At RKA Tattoos we will be collecting money for Tomek to have his tattoo removed and help pay for any immediate needs he has.”
On the Facebook post, Chris Haslam commented: “The tattooist needs reporting. He’s as guilty as the others if not more so. Probably don’t need a license [sic] but needs shutting down.”