The wrong arm of the law

A MAN from Ilkeston was left stunned after discovering his tattoo had been mistakenly used in a US government document to identify members of a dangerous Venezuelan gang.

- By CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN and GEORGE ALLEN

Pete Belton, 44, found that images of his arm were being utilised by immigration squads under the Trump administration.

Pete, who has no links to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang targeted for deportation from the US, was shocked to see a photo of his forearm - featuring a tattoo marking his daughter's birth in a guide produced by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

"I'm just an average middle-aged man from Derbyshire," he said.

He initially found the situation amusing but soon grew concerned, saying: "It was a bit strange, bit funny at first. But now I'm worried our family holiday to Miami could turn into a six-month all-inclusive stay at Guantanamo."

The DHS document, designed for immigration and border enforcement officials, contains a collection of tattoo designs believed to be linked with TdA.

Included among the nine tattoo images is Pete's own a detailed clock face displaying the precise time and date of his daughter's birth, reports the Mirror.