A group of ‘dine and dashers’ have been accused of enjoying a slap-up meal costing £260 and leaving the pub without paying.
The family ate at the Britannia Inn in Par, Cornwall, on Saturday afternoon but when it was time to pay, they fled while the waitress’s back was turned, with some leaving in an allegedly untaxed Skoda Fabia.
The alleged dine and dashers ordered plates of £17.50 lasagne and £25 rump steak, 10 pints of Stella Artois lager costing £5.90 each and four pints of Madri lager at £6.20 each, as well as kids meals of sausage and chips, penne pasta and chicken nuggets. The final bill came to £260.50.
The pub, popular with holidaymakers to the Cornish coast, posted CCTV pictures on Facebook of the group tucking into meals and asking anybody who knows them to come forward.
The post said the way the group left was ‘no mistake’ and ‘calculated’ before adding: ‘Reward available for successful finding of these scammers.’
A group of ‘dine and dashers’ have been accused of enjoying a slap up meal costing £260 and leaving the pub without paying
The family dined at the Britannia Inn in Par, Cornwall, on Saturday afternoon
A staff member today told : ‘It was clearly planned, they watched and waited for our staff to exit the room’
A staff member today told : ‘It was clearly planned, they watched and waited for our staff to exit the room for 45 seconds before all running out the door. When the waitress came back they were all gone.
‘They looked as if they were taking kids to the play area in the garden but they just left.
‘Normally we take bookings for groups over 10 but during half term we do sometimes have large family groups walk in so obviously they didn’t give us any details. You don’t expect it in the main restaurant.
‘They didn’t order the largest or most expensive meals or anything that would raise a red flag, some of the kids shared meals. They weren’t rude or anything but the CCTV just shows them deliberately getting up and going.’
Bosses at the 18th century coaching inn have since reported the theft to the police.
On Facebook another customer commented: ‘Great example they’re setting the kids there. Feel so sorry for everyone who works so hard to provide such good service and good food for this to happen. Hope they get caught.’
Another added: ‘These scammers need to be caught sure they are not local if they are shame on them. When this happens it’s horrible as a business, [they] don’t seem to realise it’s people’s livelihood and jobs. Let’s hope they are caught soon.’
Bosses at the 18th century coaching inn have since reported the theft to the police
The pub posted a photograph of a car they say carried the group to the pub
The restaurant said the group planned their getaway and are appealing for help to identify them
It comes as furious restaurant bosses at Stubbs Restaurant in Ashford, Kent, shared photos of a group who tucked into an enormous Sunday lunch, including oysters and lobster thermidors, that cost £489.90 before allegedly driving off ‘as fast as they could’ without paying.
A photo shared to the restaurant’s Facebook page revealed the staggering bill. According to images of the customers’ receipt, the group enjoyed three lobster, crab and shrimp cocktails which cost £59.95.
They then ordered two servings of crispy brie priced at £17.90, as well as a more moderately priced calamari at £9.95 and chicken liver parfait at £8.95. There were also two orders of a dozen oysters costing £16 each.
For their mains, the large party ordered four lobster thermidors which cost a total of £216, as well as an entrecote steak with a green peppercorn sauce for £31.50 and a skate dish for £23.95.
The group also bought drinks including three pints of Thatchers at £5.50 each, as well as a couple of 250ml glass of Malbec at £10.90 each and various glasses of Shiraz and Pinot Grigio.
A post by the restaurant said the group left without paying the tab.
Alongside images of the alleged customers, they wrote: ‘Please come back and pay your bill! We are a private restaurant and will not survive with you doing this to us.
‘You ate all of your meal and we gave you fabulous service… yet you drove off, as fast as you could, without paying.’