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A shameless dad today boasted that he has fathered 40 children by 20 women, and insisted: “God says go forth and multiply.”

Jobless Mike Holpin, 56, said he had his first sexual experience aged nine and when he eventually became a dad he used one of his babies to “pick up birds”.

The recovering alcoholic confessed he would not recognise all of his children – aged between three and 37 – but he is adamant he still wants more.

He said: “Oh god yes, of course I do. I’m only 56. I’d never stop, I’d never stop.

“In the bible God says go forth and multiply – I’m doing what God wants.

“I’m as fertile as sin, I don’t believe in contraception and I love sex. I’ve got 22 kids that carry my name and there’s about 18 – probably a few more – that don’t.”

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Three-times married Mike said he once used one of his baby sons, who is now grown up, to attract new girlfriends.

He bragged: “He used to be my pulling thing, when he was a baby. I picked up a few birds like that. There’s nothing nicer than a single fella with a little baby.

“It’s sex, that’s all there is. If it’s got a pulse. Sex is sex, she can look like the back of a bus... doggy style if she’s ugly.”

(Image: Channel 5)

The love rat also told how he used to get girls through his job at a fairground.

Mike said: “Boys working on rides, they’re there for one reason and it’s to pull women. And good looking boys are better, but funny boys – spectacular.

“Me, I just told them: I want sex: ‘Fancy a rump?’ If they say ‘no’ then they’re not up for it, if they say ‘yes’ then great.

“Due to my drinking and my womanising, most of my kids have gone through the care system and it makes me feel like s*** because they’ve suffered.

"They took them from me because I am an alcoholic - I’m still an alcoholic, it’s just I don’t practise it.

“A lot of people turned their back on me. When they (his children) went into care I made a promise: no matter how long it took, I will get my kids home.

“I miss all the fun we used to have, so I suppose getting them back, my life will be set, it will be perfect.”

(Image: Channel 5)

Mike lives with his fiancee Diane and two of his children in a modest terraced house.

He has an extraordinary family tree tattoo on his back which shows off the names of all his offspring – with his grandchildren listed at the top.

But the dad is estranged from many of his children, who want nothing to do with him.

(Image: Channel 5)

Mike recently tried to make contact with one of his sons, who has just been released from a short stint in prison.

The dad told Channel Five tonight: “I’m very excited because me and him are so close he is so much like me in every way.

“His head’s in the shed, but he’s a good boy. I can’t make up for what I have done, all I can do is be there for them now, I will just keep fighting.

“When this goes hard (points to his manhood) this goes soft (points to his head) and that is the God’s honest truth. I could have more kids.”

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Mike lists his hobbies as tattoos and laughing and says he is not religious but has never believed in using contraception.

He said: “I just don’t, there’s no reason for it. You know.

“I could quote the bible. God should have explained it tidy.”

Mike, of Cwm, near Ebbw Vale in Blaenau Gwent, South Wales, said some of his children were being looked after by their mums.

(Image: Betina Skovbro Photography)

He said: “I was drunk, you know, if the opportunity arises for me to have sex, I was gonna go for it. I was a dirty alcoholic, I was irresponsible, I’ve always loved my kids. No one can ever take that away from me.

“I worked on a fair, I had one night stands and you’d pick up with a girl, you’d have sex and then a few weeks later she might come back and say: ‘I’m pregnant.’

“I’ve got a daughter living with me now and I pay for everything with her.”

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Reckless Mike admits he could walk past some of his children in the street and not even recognise them.

He told ITV’s This Morning: “Well, it’s a possibility, but the ones I do know we’ll stop and we’ll talk for half an hour, maybe a bit longer. Now they’re coming back, I’m clean, I don’t touch a drop of alcohol.

“And I promised my kids when they went into care roughly five years ago, that I would get them home.

“I have done everything. I have got two of my daughters home now, one is still under a care order and I’ve got two others left in care – I’ll get them home.”

(Image: Channel 5)

Mike insists he wants more children but fiancee Diane has rejected the idea.

The dad said: “No, well, the choice is mine, Diane has said no, I want to spend my life with this girl and she said no so... If she said yes I would, yeah.

“I think about the kids that are in care. I think about the kids I produced, the ones I know, who are tattooed on my back. I see them whenever I can. I may bump into a few of them.”

(Image: Channel 5)

He said of his exes: “Its not that I am a babe magnet, I’ve got a hell of a sense of humour and I’ve got a personality.”

Figures for 2012 showed the jobless rate in Blaenau Gwent was 14.3%.

A neighbour claimed it was not uncommon to have a lot of children there.

One, who lives next door to Mike, said: “He’s larger than life but you’ve got take everything he says with a pinch of salt. Then again big families are not that rare round here.

“My brother has 10 kids, what else are you gonna get up to in the Valleys?”

Another neighbour, Aled Young said of the family: “They came here with a very bad reputation because of their dad’s antics and some of the trouble the kids have got into over the years but Mike’s been good as gold so far.

“He only cares about booze and women and on that front he seems to be doing quite well. As long as he behaves that’s all we care about.”

Meanwhile a man who first became a dad at the age of 15 is celebrating becoming a father - for the FIFTEENTH time.

Keith MacDonald, 29, was once dubbed 'Britain's most feckless father' after having kids with at least 10 mothers - including four in the last two years.

* Do you know Mike or any of his former partners? Call the Daily Mirror newsdesk on 0800282591 or email mirrornews@mirror.co.uk