FRIENDLY FACES

A teenage girl who claimed 56 stars were tattooed on her face as she slept when she'd only asked for three has admitted she was awake the whole time - and lied because her father was 'furious'.

Belgian Kimberley Vlaminck said last week she woke up in horror to find her face covered in the stars of various sizes which spread out over the left-hand side of her head. She went on to blame the Flemish-speaking tattooist for not being able to understand her French and English instructions.

Amid a frenzy of media attention, she then vowed to sue tattoo artist Rouslan Toumaniantz for the 13,000 Euros she needs for laser surgery to have them removed. She said after the tattooing: 'It is terrible for me. I cannot go out on to the street. I look like a freak.' But the 18-year-old has finally confessed she did not fall asleep, that she wanted all the stars and was 'fully aware' of what Toumaniantz was doing.

Miss Vlaminck told a Dutch TV crew: 'I asked for 56 stars and initially adored them. 'But when my father saw them, he was furious. 'So I said I fell asleep and that the tattoist had made a mistake.'

Toumaniantz - himself covered from head to foot in tattoos and piercings - had consistently denied he had made a mistake and always insisted Vlaminck wanted all 56 stars. He said at the time: 'I maintain that she absolutely agreed that I tattoo those 56 stars on the left side of her face.'

But despite insisting Vlaminck had asked for 56 stars, he still initially agreed to pay for half of the treatment to remove the tattoos. He said: 'Kimberley is unhappy and it is not my wish to have an unsatisfied client. 'I don't regret it. To tell you the truth, this has given me some publicity.'

Toumanaintz is now said to have withdrawn his offer and said from now on he will get written consent from clients before he begins tattooing.