A MAN who plunged through a warehouse roof was not discovered for more than 30 hours - until staff arrived for work.

Nick Liptrot, aged 21, was found unconscious and bare-chested in a pool of blood on the concrete floor of the warehouse 20 feet below.

The car sprayer, who seemingly disappeared after a night out, suffered serious head injuries.

Mr Liptrot, a bachelor, of Tredgold Street, Horwich, is on a life support machine at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. His family are at his bedside.

Police investigating the incident are trying to piece together his last movements and admit there appears to be no explanation for him being on the roof, or to why he was not wearing a shirt.

Mr Liptrot disappeared after a night out with relatives and friends at Barnstormers in Lostock Lane last weekend.

He left the pub at around 12.30am on Sunday but failed to return to the terraced house a mile away where he lives with his parents Susan and Mark Liptrot.

For the rest of the weekend, they tried to find him by contacting his friends and, eventually, the police.

But his whereabouts remained a mystery until shift workers arrived at Acorn Storeage in Horwich's Hercules Business Park, Lostock Lane, which is opposite the pub, at 9am on Monday.

They opened the warehouse to discover a shattered glass skylight in the roof of the single storey building and Mr Liptrott lying unconscious on the concrete floor. His shirt was missing and he had a black eye.

Paramedics treated him before he was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital. He was then transferred for specialist treatment at Liverpool after doctors established the seriousness of his injuries.

Today, as he was clinging to life, members of his family were still trying to establish what happened.

His cousin Kelly Evans, aged 18, of Longworth Road, Horwich, who was with him on Saturday night, said: "We want to know what happened to Nick after he left the pub.

"We don't know what he was doing on the roof or why he would go to the warehouse. There is a big metal fence all the way around it - so he must have climbed over it."

Miss Evans said he had not been involved in any arguments that evening. He was in good spirits and had even pulled "funny faces" through the pub window as he left.

He was last seen seen talking to a group of girls outside the pub.

"Nick had been drinking that night but was merry rather than drunk," said Miss Evans.

"He hardly goes out and he does not go around picking fights. He's very bubbly and is always singing. He likes watching football and is a Manchester United fan."

His parents are keeping a vigil at his bedside along with his elder brother Mark.

Police are studying CCTV security camera footage from Barnstormers ar part of their investigation.

Insp Simon Miskell, of Horwich Police, said: "Mr Liptrot had been out with friends and there is no indication that he was involved in any arguments.

"We do not know what happened after he left Barnstormers, what he was doing on private land and how he came to be on the roof.

"Unfortunately, we have to wait for him to regain consciousness before we can interview him and find out what happened."

Stan Cusack, general manager at Acorn Storage, said: "We don't know what he was doing on the roof or how he even got up there.

"Staff turned up for work as usual on Monday and found him lying on the concrete floor unconscious. The skylight above him was shattered. He must have fallen about 20 feet.

"Police have interviewed all the staff involved and we have co-operated fully with the investigation. We now just hope the lad pulls through and makes a full recovery."