Martyn Hett's stepdad has Deirdre Barlow tattoo in tribute

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Stuart Murray's tattoo of Martyn Hett dressed as Deirdre BarlowImage source, Family photograph
Image caption,

Dr Stuart Murray said his tattoo of his stepson is "the last thing he would have expected"

The stepdad of a Corrie super fan who died in the Manchester Arena bomb said it was a "privilege" to get a tattoo of him dressed as Deirdre Barlow.

Martyn Hett was one of 22 people killed in the blast on 22 May 2017.

He had a tattoo of the ITV soap character on his leg and stepfather Dr Stuart Murray said he wanted to "carry on the fun" with a similar one.

The GP said his patients had been "stopping him in the corridor" at work to look at his tribute to Martyn.

Image source, Family photograph
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Martyn Hett dressed as Deidre Barlow, who he said was his favourite Corrie character

Image source, Hett family
Image caption,

Martyn Hett was 29 when he was killed in the Manchester bomb attack

Dr Murray said: "Martyn had his [tattoo] taken away so I am carrying on the baton... carrying on his fun.

"It was a great privilege to mark his memory; it is the last thing he would have expected."

His body art tribute featured on E4's Tattoo Fixers on Monday.

Dr Murray said it was "fitting" to have his tattoo done on the same TV show that did his stepson's in 2015.

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Dan Hett, Martyn's brother, said the family were "super amazed" at his stepfather's body art.

"If I'd not seen the tattoo with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it. I know Martyn would be howling with laughter at it too," he said.

Image caption,

Stuart Murray's tattoo featured on E4 show Tattoo Fixers

Martyn's mother Figen Murray tweeted she was "in awe" of her husband's "amazing tribute".

She tweeted: "He was in agony for hours but is so proud to have Martyn dressed as Deirdre tattooed on his leg!"

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E4 Tattoo Fixers tweeted: "What an amazing and unique tribute to an awesome person!"

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Martyn's tattoo inspired the play #BeMoreMartyn: The Boy with the Deirdre Tattoo featuring former Coronation Street star Paula Lane who played Kylie Platt in the soap.

Mr Hett was a friend of Coronation Street and was interviewed on television about his tattoo of Deirdre Barlow played by the late Anne Kirkbride on his leg.

His coffin was adorned with pictures of Corrie characters and the Coronation Street sign.

Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz Brown in the soap, was one of numerous cast members who attended his funeral and described him as a "beautiful soul".

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Martyn Hett's coffin was Coronation Street themed

She said: "He was an extremely fun-loving, unique person... he was a delight."

In 2016 he was featured in a Buzzfeed interview, external when he took to Twitter to promote his mother's handmade items at a craft fair, after she told him nobody was buying anything.

The hashtag #BeMoreMartyn went viral on Twitter after his death.

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