A PENSIONER who warned his younger family members against getting tattoos has ignored his own advice and got one of his own - at the of 76.

In a move he admitted “might seem hypocritical”, Alan Clarke made the decision to get his first tattoo to show support for the victims of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack.

Mr Clarke, of Hallas Lane, Cullingworth, has had the iconic working bee emblem tattooed on his chest across his heart, after the attack on May 22, which killed 22 people including a number of children and teenagers, pulled on his heart strings.

Moved by the attack, Mr Clarke said: “I’m originally from Manchester. You hurt Manchester, you hurt me.

“Manchester is home for me and I need to show unity so people know we cannot be broken.”

Mr Clarke joins thousands of others across the nation to get the design as part of the Manchester Tattoo Appeal.

The appeal was immediately set up after the attack and the money donated is going to families of those who were killed or injured.

Mr Clarke donated £50 to the appeal to get inked at the Rich Creations Tattoo Studio in Denholme.

“As a 76-year-old man, what can I do to make a difference? The least I can do is pay a donation and offer my utmost sympathy to those involved.”

Admitting he has warned his grandchildren against tattoos, Mr Clarke said he “felt it was time to do something”.

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“It might seem hypocritical after I have warned people off having tattoos but we have to stand up and show we are not going to be beaten.

“My family are really proud of me. I was nervous but this tattoo will symbolise my roots and show how we will carry on with every day life”.

More and more people are getting the bee tattoo, which shows the public’s resilience and strength. Earlier last week, it was revealed even Ariana Grande and her team got the bee tattoo.

On the appeal’s first day, it was said 800 people turned up for the tattoo and people even had to be turned away.

The Manchester Bee is said to be a symbol of the hard working people of Manchester and Manchester’s “hive of activity”.

Supporting this image, Mr Clarke said: “The people of Manchester are strong. People in England are strong, especially in times like this.

“You knock us down, we stand back up. We will continue to do that until these attacks stop. I definitely will”.

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Richard Oliver, who did Mr Clarke’s tattoo, said he was the oldest person to get the tattoo at his studio so far.

He said: “He’s also the oldest person to get their first tattoo I’ve seen.

“I’ve done 11 so far for the appeal, and just before Alan had his done I did one for a 60-year-old woman who was getting her first too. The appeal is so good because it shows we are not going to let terrorism define or scare us. The bee tattoo is amazing and a way of symbolising that we are not scared and we will stand together no matter what colour, race, or religion we are.”