Mum with 800 tattoos 'hides in bushes' at Halloween as she's 'too scary for kids'

Melissa Sloan, 47, is the most tattooed mum in Britain, but her extreme body art means she can't join in with all the ghoulish Halloween activities with her children

As Halloween looms, a woman has revealed that she doesn't need to hunt for a spooky costume as her extensive tattoos are already enough to terrify the kids.

Ink-loving Melissa Sloan boasts over 800 tattoos, including several on her face. While she adores her body art, she concedes it often creates problems in her daily life, especially during the eerie celebrations. The 47-year old mum from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, even claims she has to "hide in the bushes" when she takes her seven children trick or treating – to avoid frightening anyone.

Her own home also seldom gets any knocks on the door as children are scared of her appearance. "I don't need a Halloween costume – my tattoos already scare the kids, enough as it is," she said. "They are creeped out by my appearance daily but I have to be extra cautious during the spooky season."

Melissa told What's The Jam: "They are creeped out by my appearance daily but I have to be extra cautious during the spooky season. It makes me upset that I can't enjoy Halloween fully with my own children. I can't join in trick or treating properly, for instance. Many of my neighbours are afraid to answer the door if I take my kids out. So I have to hide in the bushes or down the road."

She shares her distress: "When I go with them to the door, people are just shocked and look at me – their stares are tiresome. As for my own house, when I open the door to give out sweets, kids sometimes run off. Others won't even bother trick or treating at my place at all."

Melissa is well accustomed to concealing her face due to the public reaction. She's been barred from various locales because of her unique look and even shuns going grocery shopping as the attention is relentless.

The intensity of the situation has led her to don makeup in public to mask her tattoos. Melissa lamented: "It's a shame people can't just understand my facial art and not instantly become cautious."

She adds with frustration: "I'm forced to hide away and hide the real me. People should accept that my ink is a form of self-expression. I'm still me – Melissa. I just display my creativity on my skin to share it with the world, instead of keeping it under wraps."

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.