Groom's cutout takes his place on stag holiday

But Chris Lloyd, 27, nicknamed “Carrots” by his friends, was determined that the party would still go on.

And his loyal mates decided he could at least join them in spirit – with a life-size cardboard cutout taking Chris’s place!

“The cutout made it to every bar and club in Magaluf ,” said Chris, who has only recently gone back to work after having open heart surgery in January.

“It even had its own seat on the plane, that was funny. I really didn’t think they would allow that.”

The cardboard cutout idea came from Chris’s best man Rob Stokes, 24.

“A lot of money had been paid so I told them all to go on and enjoy themselves,” said Chris.

Rob made sure it accompanied the group of 25 lads everywhere they went – in restaurants and lounging by the poolside.

And as a show of support, a number of the stag partygoers had tattoos of carrots in honour of the absent groom.

After they returned from the holiday, the group organised a stag party in the UK which Chris could attend.

Credit controller Chris married his wife Jade in October, but the pair were forced to cancel their £4,000 honeymoon.

Chris later underwent life-saving open heart surgery to replace a faulty valve in his heart.

The surgery required his breastbone to be broken and it is still painful.

He said: “I’m glad they went and had fun and we have memories of this story.”