Builder smashes new Travelodge hotel with digger over no pay, but had been paid

Police officers called to the Liverpool Innovation Park Hotel on Monday at around 3:00 PM after an angry builder had repeatedly ploughed a digger into the reception of the hotel. He was furious over a pay dispute and believed he hadn’t been paid. However, it turns out he had, just a little bit late.

After the man mounted the steps of the new Travelodge hotel in the digger, he crashed through into the reception desk and smashed inside windows, leaving a mess of twisted metal and smashed glass behind him.

Triton Construction sub-contractor employee in pay dispute

According to a statement by Triton Construction, the builder was a worker for a sub-contractor, MF Construction. The BBC contacted MF Construction for comment, but without success. There was reportedly a pay dispute over £600 that the driver of the digger had not received. Claims about the salary shortfall are not yet verified and Travelodge, the owners of the new hotel, would not comment on what is still an ongoing investigation, as the hotel is not yet under their control. The property is at present the developer’s responsibility.

Videos shared on social media showed the digger repeatedly smashing into the front of the hotel on the day on which it was supposed to be complete.

A voice can be heard saying that this is what happens when employers don’t pay people their wages. He kept smashing into the hotel, despite people begging him to stop.

The video below shows the incident from outside the hotel - readers must please note that it contains strong language.

This second video shows the digger entering the hotel, viewed from inside.

Again, some strong language can be heard.

According to Triton Construction, there was no structural damage to the hotel. However, the twisted metal from the door and window frames and smashed glass were spread everywhere.

Digger driver located by Merseyside Police

Police said that the driver of the digger had been tracked down and they will be interviewing him as part of the investigation.

According to a spokesman, a man was treated by paramedics for eye irritation from exposure to diesel at the scene.

Another contractor, Samuel White, 24, witnessed the incident and while describing the driver, he said he had claimed he was owed around £600 in wages. White described the man as “some idiot in a mini digger,” saying he chose to drive into the building, crashing repeatedly into the hotel for around 20 to 30 minutes, leaving workers astounded. White said the site manager had been running around the scene “like a headless chicken.”

According to a spokesman for Triton Construction, the man responsible for the damage had been unable to contact the owner of MF Construction over the wage dispute and became “increasingly frustrated,” leading to him crashing into the building.

The Sun quotes the man as being named “John” by his colleagues. That report estimates repairing the damage and working to rebuild the reception, along with the delay in opening the hotel, could lead to around £500,000 in costs.

While the man believed he hadn’t been paid, it turned out to be a glitch at the bank. According to one of his colleagues, the man was supposed to receive the money on Friday, but it only arrived on Monday. If he had checked his bank account before he launched his attack on the hotel, he would have seen he had been paid.