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A 'Piano Man' trying to win back his girlfriend with a round-the-clock public performance has officially stopped playing amid claims he was punched in the head.

"Creepy" Luke Howard went viral after he set up the instrument in on College Green, in Bristol, and refused to leave.

He sparked a furious backlash on social media after users slammed his actions as "abusive" and "akin to stalking".

Luke continued to play over the weekend but has now stopped, the Bristol Post reports.

He claims he was punched in the head at around 4am today - but added the reason he packed up was because he realised he had "spectacularly failed" in his original aim.

Speaking to the i , the 34-year-old musician rejected suggestions it was a PR stunt and issued an apology to those offended by his plan.

"I stopped playing yesterday because I realised that what I had wanted to do had spectacularly failed," he said.

"The social media reaction turned it very quickly into something that would cause the one person I didn’t want to hurt embarrassment and pain.

"That was the last thing in the world I had wanted to happen, so I left.”

(Image: bristolpost.co.uk/)

Luke's story went viral within a matter of hours after it was highlighted by founder of Bristol Women’s Literary Festival Sian Norris.

Pulling no punches, Sian tweeted at the time: “Men, women are allowed to leave you. You are not entitled to a girlfriend.

“Media, stop romanticising controlling, stalker behaviour.”

This was echoed by other Twitter users, with some referring to Luke’s four-month relationship as nothing more than a “long fling” while others called him a “brat”.

(Image: Bristol Post WS)

The story was even referenced by Bristol comic Mark Watson during his show at the Wardrobe Theatre on Saturday evening.

"He said it was one of those things that divides public opinion, but it really is a bit ‘eurgh!’ isn’t it?," once audience member said.

"I said it was like a toddler holding its breath 'til it gets what it wants."