A young waitress was left bloodied and needing hospital treatment after she tried to stop a group of customers from leaving a Manchester restaurant without paying. The alleged assault took place at Noodle Alley on Faulkner Street in Chinatown shortly after 6pm on Sunday, September 27.
Staff member attacked after customers fled without paying
CCTV footage posted by the popular eatery showed the young employee allegedly being attacked after a group of customers tried to flee without paying. A member of staff can be seen chasing up the stairs after three diners. It has also been reported that the employee was taken to A&E.
In their post, the restaurant owners questioned: "What has the world come to? A violent man sent our staff to A&E over an unpaid meal." The post also featured photographs of the staff member's injuries to her arm and elbow.
Owners say small businesses are being 'targeted again and again'
The message continued: "We're a small family business, and lately it feels like small businesses are being targeted again and again. But this time, it went far beyond anything we have experienced before. One of our young staff members - a girl simply doing her job - was assaulted after going beyond her duty to try to recover what had been taken from our restaurant. She ended up in A&E."
"What hurts us most is seeing how emotionally affected she has been by what happened. She told us she had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this. We work hard to look after our staff and our customers, and nobody should have to go through this simply for doing their job. We have reported the incident to the police."
Police circulate image of man they wish to question
Greater Manchester Police have circulated an image of a man they wish to question, believing he can assist with their inquiries. Anyone with information is urged to contact 101, on LiveChat or via the reporting mechanisms on their website quoting CRI/06A2/0030137/26. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be called anonymously on 0800 555 111.
In an earlier statement, a representative for Greater Manchester Police said: "Officers received reports of an assault and a pair making off without paying a bill from a restaurant on Faulkner Street. No arrests have been made at this stage and enquiries are on-going."
Noodle Alley, which specialises in Szechuan-style street food dishes, first welcomed customers three years ago in the former China City location. Run by owners Wendy and Ken Chen, the duo expressed their desire to "share the food" they were raised on and contribute to the diversity available in Chinatown.
Following their accounts of the incident, customers flocked to social media to express their solidarity with the establishment. One individual commented: "Omg this makes me so sad to see. I love your restaurant so much, you don't deserve this!" Another wrote: "Unbelievable. We really hope your staff member is OK." A final user stated: "We're so sorry, you guys are always SO EXCELLENT."
