COPS have released CCTV after a group of alleged dine and dashers ran out of a restaurant after racking up a £325 bill.
Five men ate at a restaurant in Gloucester and each ordered a three course meal and drinks.
Cops have released CCTV after a group of alleged dine and dashers ran out of a restaurantCredit: Gloucestershire police
Police have struggled to identify those in the CCTVCredit: Gloucestershire police
But the group brazenly walked out without paying their massive £329 bill.
Gloucestershire said the dine and dash incident unfolded on December 31.
However they’ve struggled to identify those in the CCTV.
The images show one man dressed in a black cap and black quarter zip.
Two others are also dressed in all black, while one was wearing jeans with a mustard-coloured hoodie.
A fifth wore a black cap and hoodie.
The force said in an appeal: “Officers have released CCTV images of a group of men they want to identify in connection with a report that people had left a restaurant without paying a bill totalling more than £300.
“It was reported that five men had gone to a restaurant at Olympus Park in Gloucester and each ordered a three course meal and drinks, but walked out without paying their £329 bill.
“Officers have conducted a number of enquiries since the incident, but are yet to identify the men pictured, and are now asking for information from the public.
Gloucestershire Police said the dine and dash incident unfolded on December 31Credit: Gloucestershire police
The images show one man dressed in a black cap and black quarter zipCredit: Gloucestershire police
“Anyone who recognises the men pictured is asked to complete the following online form quoting incident 237 of 31 December: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/.” ;
It’s not the first time punters have walked out of a restaurant without paying.
Last week, two men 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 unpaid.
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, including an £800 .
Despite the new policy, Scott claims his has been targeted again.
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.
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 has been launched and enquiries are ongoing. No arrests have been made at this time.”
And in October, cops were hunting four women after a group helped themselves at a restaurant.
They devoured before brazenly walking out without paying.
Anyone who recognises the men pictured should contact copsCredit: Gloucestershire police How dine and dash crimewave is sweeping UK as even ex-solicitors are running away from meals without paying
By
KNOWN for its ales and hearty roasts, it was a busy Sunday afternoon at the Castle Inn when a couple appeared to be leaving without paying.
Kerry Ann Stevens and her boyfriend Daniel Alani had scoffed a prawn cocktail, breaded mushrooms and two roast chicken mains with extra lamb on the side.
They washed the lot down with a glass of Pinot Grigio , two cokes and an orange juice before it is claimed they tried to exit without settling up their £62.20 bill.
It was then that locals at the 17th Century family-run pub in the pleasant village of Little Wakering took matters into their own hands.
Landlord Ken Todd, 76, told me: “Our locals are very loyal and wouldn’t let them leave until the arrived.
“The woman apparently tried to get out the toilet window but there are bars up.
“The guy tried to go out the back door which I’d already locked because we were aware of what they were trying to do.”
CCTV footage shown to The Sun reveals staff and customers preventing the pair from fleeing the .
Dad-of-three Ken says Stevens then spun a story that her father would pay but was at A&E with a relative.
Disgraced solicitor Stevens has become something of an unlikely poster girl for the crime phenomenon known as “dine and dash”.
Although no figures are available solely for the scam that is blighting small businesses across Britain, industry insiders believe it is on the rise with recent spikes in and .
Various ruses are employed. Some eat their meal then pretend it was substandard before refusing to pay.
Others, after sizing up a premises’ exit routes, simply make a run for it after a slap-up feed.
Many are serial offenders, seemingly becoming addicted to being waited on hand and foot with no intention of picking up the tab.
One recent dine and dasher even bought a round for everyone in a bar before fleeing.
Norman Brennan, director of the crime victims campaign group the Law And Order Foundation, says it is “nonsense” that dine and dash is fuelled by food poverty.
He said: “If you’re short of money, you buy food on a budget to provide for yourself and your family.
“You don’t go into pubs and swanky restaurants and run up huge bills, often drinking champagne, cocktails and bottles of beer. That’s really contemptuous.
“These businesses have got bills and staff to pay.”
The campaigner advises pubs and restaurants to report dine and dashers to the police, however small the amount.
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!
