Man tricked into wrecking motel room in search for trapped midget

Pranksters tricked a motel guest into smashing up his room in a search for hidden cameras and a trapped midget. The 73-year-old man wrecked the television, mirrors, the toilet and a wall before realizing he had been duped.

Joseph Jones was staying at a Motel 6 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, when he received a late night telephone call, reports local media. The caller claimed to be the motel manager and asked Mr Jones to help him get rid of highly sophisticated cameras installed by the previous guest. He told the pensioner to unplug the television and use the toilet cover to smash it open. When the TV didn't break, Mr Jones was told to throw it out of the window.

The man then said more cameras were hidden behind the mirrors and ordered Mr Jones to smash them with a wrench he found in his room. The caller then claimed a 4ft 3ins midget was barricaded in the next room and asked him to try to break through the internal wall to help police free him. Mr Jones managed to break through to the next room before his rampage of destruction was ended following complaints from other motel guests.

Police said the incident was similar to a number of similar pranks played on hotel and motel guests throughout the US. No charges were filed. A Motel 6 spokesman said: "We are grateful that, although the room and its contents suffered damage, none of our guests or team members were injured as a result of this incident."