Britain's Most Tattooed Man Mathew Whelan Makes Space for More

A Birmingham man who spent £30,000 covering every part of his body in tattoos has spent £6,000 having some removed to make way for even more.

Mathew Whelan, 34, who even has tattoos on his eyelids, has undergone laser surgery to his hands, arms and shins to wipe the canvas clean.

"I think of myself like an art gallery. After a while the art gets old and people want to see something new and that's how I feel about my tattoos," he told the Mirror.

"I've had enough of them and I've run out of skin to tattoo on - so I thought why not get them lasered off and just start again".

Whelan hit the headlines earlier this year when he changed his name by deed poll to King of Ink Land. The name now appears on his driving licence, though officials have denied him permission to use it on his passport.

He said: "I can finally see the skin underneath and the laser process is a gruelling one. My skin is currently blistered - but that's good because it means it is healing.

"Some of my friends think I'm bonkers, and it might seem odd to some people but to me I am a living canvas.

"I can't wait for the day to put new artwork in their place. It would be tomorrow if I had my way. However, I have to wait until the treatment to see when it completely heals."