A CHILDREN’S charity claims a man who is at the centre of allegations he tricked two former Big Brother contestants also promised it cash that never materialised.

Selva Carmichael hit the headlines after reports claimed he filmed reality TV couple and Shannon Bradshaw Trust patrons Mario Marconi and Lisa Appleton 18 hours a day for a new show Lisa and Mario: Their Journey.

The couple have said they were never paid a penny for their work and the show has never aired.

President of the Shannon Bradshaw Trust, based in Great Sankey, Patti Bradshaw claims Mr Carmichael promised a ‘nice cheque in the post’ for allowing them to film at a fundraiser last year.

Great Sankey couple Alan and Patti Bradshaw have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for poorly children in the town after their daughter Shannon died aged seven in 2002.

Patti said Mr Carmichael came to their ladies night fundraiser in 2011 with a film crew as part of the fly-on-the-wall documentary following Lisa and Mario and interviewed her daughter Alana who had organised the event.

She added: “We thought being filmed could lead to lots of recognition for the charity and everyone was really excited on the night.

“He spoke to me at the end when we were having photos taken with him and he said in front of everyone ‘a nice cheque in the post first thing’.

“I thought it was going to be about £5,000 and hoped that would cover the ground rates for the caravan (which gives families with poorly children a break from hospital) but the cheque never arrived.

“I feel so sorry for Mario and Lisa having almost a year out of their lives taken up by this man. They are devastated.”

Despite the blow the charity has been celebrating this week after it was confirmed The Shannon Bradshaw Trust Community Centre will open in the new Great Sankey police station building, off St Mary’s Road.

The charity hope to get the keys soon for a big launch with their celebrity patrons.

The Warrington Guardian tried to contact Mr Carmichael’s company WorldScreen Group for a comment but they did not respond as the paper went to print.

Reports suggest Mr Carmichael is currently serving a prison sentence for an unrelated money laundering offence.