AFTER seeing his mother battle breast cancer for the past three years, Richard Miles knows only too well about the effects of the disease.

His mother, Gina Mussel-white, who was the face of the Adver’s radiotherapy campaign last year, was diagnosed in 2009 and is still receiving treatment.

Richard, 30, of Pinehurst, spent four hours under the needle yesterday to have a giant permanent tribute inked across his back to raise about £500 for Cancer Research.

“It’s massive, it’s exactly what I wanted,” he said.

“I went through a bit of pain while it was being done and I’m still going through a bit of pain now. The guy who did it usually does tattoos of this size in two sittings but we got this done in one.

“I’m proud of it and mum was really touched when she saw it.”

The tattoo is also in memory of Richard’s friend, Steve Dodson, of Penhill, who died of cancer earlier this year.

“I have got a lot of respect for people with cancer.

“I want to raise money for more research – I wouldn’t wish cancer on anyone,” said Richard.

“Seeing my mum in all that pain, I just don’t want to see anyone else go through that.”

Paul Price, owner of Skin Kandy, in Cheney Manor Road, designed and drew the tattoo for Richard for free as it was for charity.

“It is quite unusual to do something like this. For someone to get something like that on their back is a massive commitment,” he said.

“We always do things for charity, and cancer is a cause close to my heart.

“We like to help out where we can.”

Richard is already planning to get more work done on his tattoo in the future.

“Paul is going to put a purple cancer ribbon in the middle and he is going to put wings on it as well,” he said.

Richard was originally thinking of having the tattoo inked on his head.

“Then I thought ‘that’s not big enough, if I’m going to do it I might as well go the full way and have a big one on my back’,” he said.

“My mum is happy with me. She said out of all her kids I was the last would she would have expected to do this.”

Richard already had tattoos on the back of his head, and on his arms and legs.

To sponsor Richard phone 07718613144.