SHOCKING footage shows the moment two men appeared to walk out on their £170 bill at a seafood and steak restaurant plagued by a string of “dine and dash” offences.
The pair of punters feasted on oysters and booze before allegedly walking away leaving a hefty bill .
A pair left the restaurant without paying their £170 billCredit: SWNS
Relentless Steak and Lobster House in PortsmouthCredit: SWNS
Scott Matthews, owner of Relentless – Steak and Lobster House in , Hants, has been forced to make customers pre-pay for their food in a bid to thwart would-be “dine and dashers”.
The 39-year-old says his hand was forced after numerous incidents of people fleeing without paying.
The policy was initially introduced after an £800 was walked out on.
But despite this new payment system, Scott claims his has been targeted again.
Police were called in after two men feasted on and scallops before scarpering late last month.
Scott says the pair came in at around 12:30pm on January 29, appearing to be electricians, and started their boozy lunch order.
They pre-paid £130 for the meal, but proceeded to order several rounds of drinks, shots, oysters, and scallops – adding up to another £170 – which they allegedly did not pay for.
Scott claims that after ordering their last round the pair said they were nipping outside for a , before sprinting back to their van and driving away.
“They ordered a double round of drinks, shots, loads of oysters and scallops,” said Scott.
“The waitress noticed they had gone within about three minutes, the chef came out and as he comes out you can see them speeding off in the van.
“They shouldn’t have been driving at all with the alcohol involved.
“As a business you have just got to take the knock on the chin for it but at the end of the day that is someone’s days wages.
“As a small, independent business owner, I find this incredibly disheartening.
“Incidents like this don’t just affect a balance sheet – they impact real people who work hard every day.”
Relentless Steak and Lobster House has been running since 2009Credit: SWNS
The incident was reported to the policeCredit: SWNS
The restaurant’s location is apparently called a ‘dine and dash hotspot’Credit: SWNS
Apparently, this is not the first time Relentless have been hit, with their location of Port Solent apparently having been previously called a ‘dine and dash hotspot’.
The owner believes they are targeted because they are surrounded by chain restaurants, so people often assume they must be too.
However, Scott says that customers have not been very understanding of the policy, and it has lost them a lot of revenue.
He added: “We have had so many issues in the past. They were saying it was a hotspot at one point for dine and dash. It is just annoying that it happens all the time.
“We lose so much revenue because we have to do prepayment, it is just unbelievable. No one wants to prepay but we have to protect our business.
“It is not normal hardworking people that do this. It is a different clientele. You can’t discriminate against anyone, so we do prepayment for everyone.
“It is damaging for us and for the customer. It is just a nightmare. It is very hard in hospitality at the moment as I’m sure everyone is aware. It is just another hit on us.”
The incident has been reported to police, but Scott is urging the thieves to come forward and settle their bill before matters need to be escalated.
Hampshire Constabulary said: “We received a report that on Thursday 29 January, two men had left a restaurant on The Boardwalk in Paulsgrove without paying.
“An investigation has been launched and enquiries are ongoing. No arrests have been made at this time.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
