Celebrity tattooist's honour at inking Manchester bombing survivor

Kevin Paul tattooed over Martin Hibbert's scars months after the attack

A tattoo artist who has worked with Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles has said nothing compares to inking a Manchester Arena attack survivor.

Kevin Paul, whose clients include Rhianna and Lady Gaga, was invited to tattoo Martin Hibbert in hospital after the bombing in May 2017.

The 47-year-old had a bee tattooed on his back to cover a scar from the blast which left him partially paralysed.

Mr Paul said he "felt honoured that I was chosen for that".

"Someone that has been through such a traumatic event had chosen me, he had that much faith in me that he wanted me to do it."

The artist was asked to cover Mr Hibbert's back with the Manchester bee

Martin and his daughter Eve were rushed to hospital with serious injuries after the 2017 attack by suicide bomber Salman Abedi which killed 22 people.

Two months after, while recovering from his wounds at Salford Royal Hospital, Mr Hibbert contacted the tattoo artist as he "wanted something done after all I had survived".

He said he managed to "sweet talk staff" into letting him have the tattoo, after he was moved to the spinal unit in Southport.

"I still had 20 open wounds that needed cleaning everyday so they just added the tattoo to that list.

"'Eve was still really ill, we didn't know if she was going to survive, I was looking for any distraction, so doing the tattoo for a few hours was just great."

Both Mr Hibbert and Mr Paul told BBC Radio Manchester they understood this was the only time a person had been tattooed while staying at a UK hospital.

Kevin Paul said it was an 'honour' to work with Martin Hibbert

The tattoo artist, originally from Derby, has now set up shop at new parlour, Hive Tattoo MCR, in Manchester city centre.

Kevin said his work with Martin stood out in a career where he had "probably tattooed 60 plus celebrities".

Regular clients include Ed Sheeran, whose tattoo of a lion on his chest went viral after the singer joked about it being fake.

"I'd be sat on a train, and it would be in a magazine, it was everywhere, it took over the world," Kevin said.

The tattoo artist has struck up a friendship with regular client Ed Sheeran

The 45-year-old has created a close friendship with many of his clients through his work.

"Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran got drunk one night and decided they wanted a Pingu the penguin tattoo, so I got a drunk call at 4am asking me to come to London.

"Three hours later I was in London, they'd had a bit of sleep and came round a bit and then we did Pingu the penguin.

"I got a call from Rihanna asking me to come to Manchester while she was on tour and do some tattoos.

"It's just become normal now."

Kevin Paul said he has now tattooed "more than sixty celebrities"

But he has admitted many of the celebrity tattoos are "not really my style".

"It's strange because it's what I am known best for but it's not my best work, I'm more into the gothic style."

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