A 'mystery man' from Italy discovered with no memory at Edinburgh's St Giles Cathedral has admitted faking his illness to escape his mother-in-law.

Salvatore Mannino, 52, a businessman from Lajatico, near Pisa, was found in Edinburgh on September 20 and taken to hospital.

Police appealed for information as they tried to identify him from tattoos on his arms.

Speaking to an Italian newspaper, he has now admitted faking his illness.

"My plan was to convince the doctors that I had lost my memory," he told Corriere della Sera.

"At home I felt powerless as a husband and a father.

"My mother-in-law, who has been living with us since 2010, called all the shots and was constantly interfering.

"I wanted to re-establish my authority."

Mr Mannino, a former supermarket manager who worked in home nursing, said he was feeling sidelined within his family and wanted to see how they got on without him.

The father of four left cash at home along with a cryptic note that his 18-year-old son, Filippo, unscrambled to read: "Forgive me, I'm sorry."

Mr Mannino told the Italian newspaper he planned to return to his family after a few weeks and had left without any malicious intent.

"I would have found the right words to make them understand the reasons for my departure. And perhaps I would have been able to set new rules," he said.