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The family of a man who trashed a hotel with a digger say he had been trying to get mental health treatment for weeks.

Jason Pellegrini, 43, says his cousin, John Manley, is now being treated in hospital for mental health issues after ploughing the plant hire vehicle into a newly built Travelodge on Edge Lane .

Mr Pellegrini said Mr Manley, 35, was sleeping on a relative's couch in Netherton and was desperate after his £600 wages were allegedly not paid on time by sub-contracting firm MF Constructions.

Mobile phone footage, which has since gone viral, showed the digger arm tearing down the ceiling, smashing through the windows and destroying the front desk.

He is alleged to have shouted: "I told you six hundred ****ing quid."

Now Mr Pellegrini says Mr Manley's family is keen to highlight the huge strain on mental health services in Sefton after he struggled to get specialist help.

Mr Pellegrini told the ECHO : "He's had a very, very bad life. He's not an angel; we don't want to portray him as an angel...

"We have been trying to get him help but there's such a long waiting list. It's not down to the health care professionals but it's a lack of resources in Sefton.

"We are not condoning what he did at all; someone could have been seriously hurt and he's not a national hero like some people have been making out.

"He is very troubled and it's something when he has had to do what he did to get the kind of help he needs.

"He told me he does not want any money, he just wants his mates to get paid and he wants to get well."

Mr Pellegrini also denied reports that his cousin had been paid when he trashed the hotel, but had not checked his bank account, saying Mr Manley does not even have an account.

(Image: PA)

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He said that Mr Manley, originally from London but who has been living in Sefton for several years, had been displaying worrying symptoms in recent months and his family had been worried.

Mr Pellegrini said: "He would ring the GP at 8am when it opens, and there would already be 37 people in the waiting line for an appointment.

(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)

"We wanted to get him a to a psychiatrist in Crosby but the waiting list is so long."

He said Mr Manley had experienced a "traumatic" childhood and had worked sporadically.

He told the ECHO: "I know he was technically of no fixed abode and could not claim benefits, so when he didn't work he literally had nothing. He had no money for gas, electric or food.

"He had not been paid on the Friday and he was trying to call his boss all weekend. His boss would not answer the phone.

"I think in the end he just snapped. He said to me he would not have done it if he'd had an explanation."

Other constructions workers for MF, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted the ECHO to describe alleged problems with their wages.

One said: "I myself have been left unpaid for £1,100 worth of work while other lads are without even more than that.

"I have been working on that site for three months now and they still haven't paid me. There are around seven of us in the same boat.

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Helplines and support networks If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this article or need to talk someone, the NHS Choices website lists the following helplines and support networks: Samaritans operates a 24-hour service on available every day of the year by calling 116 123, and an email service is available at jo@samaritans.org. Childline , on 0800 1111, runs a helpline for children and young people in the UK. Calls are free and the number do not show up in the phone bill. PAPYRUS , 0800 068 4141, is an organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal. Depression Alliance is a charity for people with depression. It does not have a helpline, but offers resources and links to other relevant information. Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts. Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying.

"The lad who was driving the digger today, he's owed £600 and for all of us that's a lot of money.

"I stand by what my colleague did. We have been getting walked on for months and he done something about it."

Triton Construction, the main contractor for the Travelodge site, said there was no major structural damage.

Michael Parkinson, managing director of Triton, said: "It is our understanding that one of the labourers working for MF Construction, who were employed as the groundworks contractor for the project, had been waiting for his boss to arrive with his wages, which he told other workers on site were overdue.

"It is alleged that the labourer couldn’t track down the owner of MF Construction and he became increasingly frustrated.

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"At approximately 3.00pm the labourer took it upon himself to drive a small mini excavator through the entrance screen of the hotel and subsequently caused damage to finishes within the reception.

"The labourer then ran from the scene and to our knowledge is being pursued by the police.

"Fortunately there appears to be no structural damage so repairs can be undertaken relatively quickly. “

Merseyside Police released a statement this afternoon confirming they had "located" a man as part of the investigation into the incident.

The force said the man would be interviewed, but he is not currently under arrest.

John Manley later appeared in court and is due to be sentenced on November 1 2019.