A fundraising drive has been launched to help a homeless man in Benidorm, after a stag party paid him €100 to get a tattoo of what is believed to be the groom’s name on his forehead.

The man, who is thought to be Polish and called Tomek, attempted to have ‘Jamie Blake, North Shields, N28’ inked on his face, but had to give up because it was too painful.

Pictures were posted on Facebook by the tattooist but were quickly deleted following complaints over their lack of ethics.

Karen Cowles, president of the Benidorm British Business Association, said: “What they have done to this man is utterly inhuman and akin to abuse.

“I’m appalled that a group of grown men would take advantage of someone in such a vulnerable position. They have left a human being scarred for the rest of his their life.”

Cowles, who knows Tomek, said he is popular in the resort and suffers from back problems after walking all the way from Poland to Spain. 

The British community in Benidorm is now rallying around Tomek, who was given the equivalent of £90 by the group, to make sure he gets the help he needs.

On Facebook Cowles said: “Can I say it was NOT any of the British tattoo studios here.

“At RKA Tattoos we will be collecting money for Tomek to have his tattoo removed and help pay for any immediate needs he has.”

On the Facebook post, Chris Haslam commented: “The tattooist needs reporting. He’s as guilty as the others if not more so. Probably don’t need a license [sic] but needs shutting down.”

Former Dragons’ Den star and millionaire businessman Duncan Bannatyne also tweeted about the incident in a bid to track down the culprits.

He said: “Does anybody know this groom or his mates. Can we name and shame them? This is disgusting.”