A woman who had stars tattooed on her face says she has no choice other than to claim benefits worth £14,000-a-year because no one will employ her . Kay Bennett , 33 , from Swindon , says the tattoos , which were done when she was 24 , have turned her into a jobless recluse . 'Until they are removed , I won ’ t be able to find a job and will be stuck on benefits , ' says Miss Bennett , who resigned from her last role because she felt 'left out ' by colleagues , and is now hoping someone will step forward and offer to pay for her to have laser removal . Benefits : Kay Bennett , 33 , from Swindon , says she ca n't get a job because of her six facial tattoos . ‘ I can ’ t afford to have it done but I ’ m absolutely desperate to get rid of them , ' says Miss Bennett , who claims she has applied for 40 jobs in the last year but without success . ' I hope my nightmare will make anyone think twice about having such visible tattoos especially on your face , neck or hands , ' she says . ' I am well spoken but as soon as people see me they think I ’ m rough and common . People take one look at me , see the stars and automatically think I ’ m a criminal or on drugs . ' I ’ ve applied for 40 jobs in the last year alone . But as soon as I turn up for an interview I can see that person looking at the stars on my face . 'As soon as they see those stars , and the other tattoos on my neck and hands , their mind is made up . They are not going to employ me. ’ Tough : She says she has applied for more than 40 jobs but has had no success because of her 18 tattoos . Embarrassed : Her six facial tattoos have left her embarrassed and as a result , she suffers from depression . Removal : She says she wants a well-wisher to pay for laser treatment - and will have to stay on benefits until then . Her handouts , which total £14,000 a year , include an employment and support allowance of £360 a fortnight and housing benefit of £400-a-month . She also gets sick money because she suffers from depression , the result , she says , of tattoo-related comfort eating that has caused her go up three dress sizes from a 12 to an 18 . Another great upset is caused by being unable to find a boyfriend , which Miss Bennett says is also down to the inkings . ' I only attract bad boys , ' she admits . 'Nice guys don ’ t fancy me because of my tattoos. ’ In an ironic twist , the 33-year-old , who has 18 tattoos in total , says she got her first one as a means of boosting her confidence , which had been knocked by school bullies . ' I thought if I had tattoos I would look hard and people would think twice before picking on me , ' she explains . Old life : Miss Bennett pictured before getting the tattoos and before gaining six stone . Changing shape : She blames the tattoos for causing her to shoot up from a size 12 ( left ) to a size 18 ( right ) Over the next six years she got further tattoos done on her arms and neck , but easily found work as a security guard . Then , aged 24 , she decided to have six stars tattooed on her face - much to her parents and her employers ' horror . It took her eight years to find another job , this time as a dog sitter . But after a few months , she resigned when other staff failed to invite her on a night out . ‘ I started off working as a volunteer and people got to know me , ' explains Miss Bennett . 'But other staff were wary of me because of how I look . ' I didn ’ t get invited out with them and I was so upset I had to resign. ’ Since then she has been unable to find another job and has spiralled into depression . ‘ I can ’ t go out because I feel everyone is staring at me , ’ she says . ‘ I come from a middle class family . My dad is an estimator , my sister is a social worker and my mum works in admin . [ But ] people judge me on my looks and rarely bother to get to know me . ’
Kay Bennett , 33 , says she has been turned down for 40 jobs in the last year . Suffers depression brought on by her tattoos , which she had done at 24 . The former security worker has gained six stone due to 'comfort eating ' Resigned from the only job she had in years because she felt left out . Miss Bennett is hoping someone will take pity and buy her laser removal .