One in 20 people in Britain have admitted to walking out of a restaurant without paying, a phenomenon that is reportedly on the rise and leaving business owners shaken and out of pocket. The trend, known as 'dine and dash', has seen a surge in incidents, with some perpetrators using elaborate ruses to avoid payment.
This summer, a couple from Port Talbot in south Wales were jailed for a series of such offences. Ann McDonagh received a 12-month sentence, while her husband Bernard McDonagh was given eight months after a judge at Swansea Crown Court found they had 'cynically and brazenly' defrauded restaurants by paying with a dud card and failing to return after ostensibly going to get cash.
Aldo Esposito, owner of La Bella Vista in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, says his restaurant has been targeted three times in three months. In one incident, a table of four claimed a severe allergic reaction and left without paying a £200 bill. Another involved a group of 12 who complained about an item allegedly planted in their food, then refused to pay a £400 bill. The third saw three women run off after racking up a £300 drinks tab.
Donna Jones, Conservative police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, says dine-and-dash incidents are 'shooting up', linking the rise to the cost-of-living crisis. She urged businesses to share images of offenders online to name and shame them. However, a police spokesperson warned that publicly sharing images could backfire if the person is innocent, and encouraged owners to report offences with evidence.
Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, notes that while the number of incidents remains small, they have a serious impact on businesses operating on net-profit margins below 4%. 'The cashflow impact is not something that can be reclaimed,' she said, adding that perpetrators often target high-value items like T-bone steaks and double desserts.
