A YouTuber has been criticised by a Lancashire hotel after he filmed himself standing on top of a lift inside an elevator shaft.

In the video, uploaded a user known as Ryegi, he can be seen on top of the lift, travelling towards the bottom of the building in a craze known as 'lift surfing'.

In the background you can then hear the lift say 'doors closing' and then announce that the lift will be travelling back up.

Lancashire Telegraph: Ryegi 'lift surfing'Ryegi 'lift surfing' (Image: Ryegi)

Footage then shows Ryegi dangerously travel up to the top of the three-storey Travelodge in Morecambe that is estimated to be around 40ft (12m) tall.

He then videos himself actually in the lift exiting the Travelodge, before showing a cut on his finger that was from his finger getting trapped.

Ryegi, who has been lift surfing since the age of 12, says he finds it 'fun and thrilling' but also sometimes worries about getting crushed by the lift.

He told the Lancashire Telegraph: “I like lift surfing because I like seeing all of the machinery inside.

“I also find it thrilling especially on the high speed lifts. It is a fun hobby for me. I also like exploring abandoned buildings because I like seeing how buildings where in the past, the historical characters, detail and architecture behind them.”

Ryegi told a news agency that "falling is less likely but still a risk” with the lift surfing craze.

He said: “The main thing I sometimes worry about is getting crushed, which I recently came very close to.

"I reiterate the dangers of lift surfing on all my YouTube videos.

"It’s important to be aware of all of the potential risks to be able to manage them."

Lift surfing is an activity that involves riding on top of lifts, and sometimes it may include jumping between moving lifts.

In 1997, a 10 year old boy from Leeds died after he fell 100ft (30 metres) while lift surfing in the dark.

It is believed the YouTuber gets on the lift by unlocking the doors with a special key.

A spokesperson for Travelodge said: "We take the safety of our customers and staff extremely seriously and we have stringent lift security measures in place.

"The perpetrators in this VT have illegally gained entry into the lift shaft and we will be reporting this incident to the police for further investigation.”