Police in England Hunting For Man Who Smashed Up Travelodge Using Digger

Hunt for digger driver who ploughed 2.5-ton machine into Travelodge in 'row over £600 unpaid bill' then fled - as GoFundMe page to fund 'legend' labourer's legal bill hits £765

Police in England say they're looking for a man seen on video using a 2.5-ton digger to smash up the reception area of a recently renovated Travelodge hotel over an alleged unpaid bill of £600 (~$776). 

Video posted to social media on Monday showed a man using the machine to destroy the front entrance of a Liverpool hotel at around 3 p.m., the same day the location was supposed to be finished. 

Police say the digger rammed into the front of a Travelodge hotel in Liverpool, England just before 3 p.m. on Monday. Video of the incident was posted online and shows the unpaid contractor driving into the lobby over an alleged unpaid bill of £600. 

The driver uses the digger driving up the steps to the entrance of the half-completed hotel located at Liverpool Innovation Park on Edge Lane. Police were called to the scene, but the digger driver fled the scene before authorities could arrive. 

Some of the enraged constructor worker's fellow employees can be heard shouting on the footage, "That's what happens when people don't pay your wages, mate." 

In a statement, Merseyside police said: "We are appealing for information after damage was caused to a hotel under construction in Liverpool.

"A report was received shortly before 3pm that the digger was being driven into the entrance of the Travelodge building in the Liverpool Innovation Park.

"The driver then left the vehicle and made off on foot in the direction of Edge Lane.

"One man experienced eye irritation due to exposure to diesel and was treated at the scene by North West Ambulance Service.

"It is not believed anyone else was injured during the incident.

"Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services and contractors attended to ensure the site was safe," the statement read. 

Photos of the aftermath at the Travelodge showed extensive damage to the outside of the building, including broken glass and fallen debris. The machine used in the rampage can also be seen where the driver abandoned it. 

A second video taken of the interior of the hotel shows the scale of the damage done by the upset contractor. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed around the machine, with several walls and other structural beams are affected. 

Construction workers erected a metal fence around the destroyed hotel front while police interviewed witnesses at the hotel. 

After the footage went viral on social media, a GoFundMe campaign was opened on behalf of the driver to help pay for the wages he claimed he was owed as well as any legal fees that might arise from his recent 

"Many people in the building trade encounter similar situations week in week out and this guy has helped MANY tradesmen and workers to get paid on time and to stand up for themselves when its really needed," the campaign's description reads. "Any money raised here is to be given to the driver to help him primarily with any legal fees and to help the driver cover any expenses which may have arisen."

Merseyside police say they have not yet located the man and are asking for the public's help in finding him. 


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