A mother who claims to be the UK’s most tattooed is worried she might not have a Christmas dinner for her children – because her ink scares supermarket staff.
Melissa Sloan, 47, from Kidderminster, is covered from head to toe in more than 800 tattoos – from abstract piece on her face, to portraits of the the Kray twins on her thigh.
And although she loves her ink, Ms Sloan admits the public hasn’t been quite as accepting as she would have hoped.
The mother said simple tasks have become more difficult due to her appearance, and her Christmas lunch is now ‘in limbo’ as she can’t easily shop at the supermarket.
She said: ‘I can’t just pop into my local supermarket and shop for my Christmas dinner.
‘People will stare when I go to pick up the cranberry sauce and turkey for me and my kids, and I just don’t want to deal with it.
‘I feel like I scare the supermarket workers, too – they have given me terrified looks as I’ve walked by in the past.
‘It’s meant to be a time of joy and celebration but right now, my Christmas dinner is in limbo. All I want is to be treated like a normal person.’
Melissa Sloan, 47, from Kidderminster, is covered from head to toe in more than 800 tattoos – from abstract piece on her face, to portraits of the the Kray twins on her thigh
Ms Sloan (left before the majority of her face tattoos) admits the public hasn’t been quite as accepting as she would have hoped
Because of her tattoos, Ms Sloan thinks she will have to send her husband and children to do the big shop for Christmas Day.
And she claims that getting a Christmas dinner at the local pub is out of the question.
She said: ‘Going to the pub is way out of the question, too.
‘I attempted to have a Christmas tipple recently but had to leave before it turned to violence.’
Ms Sloan, who claims she was once forced to watch her children’s nativity through the window, said she is only asking for ‘acceptance’.
The mother said simple tasks have become more difficult due to her appearance, and her Christmas lunch is now ‘in limbo’ as she can’t easily shop at the supermarket
Pictured: Tattoos on Melissa Sloan’s lower back, in various different styles
Because of her tattoos, Ms Sloan thinks she will have to send her husband and children to do the big shop for Christmas Day
She said: ‘I don’t understand why people just can’t accept me for who I am.
‘My tattoos don’t make me any less human than everyone else.
‘I should be able to pop to Tesco with my kids and pick up Christmas essentials.
‘But sadly, it’s just not possible. I can’t even attend carol services and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.
‘Just because I am covered head to toe in tattoos doesn’t mean I don’t deserve respect and kindness.’
Pictured: A portrait of the notorious east London gangsters Kray twins on Melissa’s thigh
