Police are searching for a family of eight suspected of carrying out a series of 'dine and dash' scams across the UK, with unpaid bills totalling £329. The group is believed to have targeted multiple restaurants, ordering expensive meals and drinks before fleeing without paying.
Restaurant owners have reported feeling betrayed by the trend, which is becoming more common in Britain. One in 20 people have admitted to walking out without paying, according to a 2018 survey. The cost of living crisis is thought to be a contributing factor, with shoplifting in England and Wales at a 20-year high.
In one incident, a couple from Port Talbot, Ann and Bernard McDonagh, were jailed for 12 and eight months respectively for defrauding restaurants by paying with a dud card and then failing to return. Judge Paul Thomas at Swansea Crown Court described their actions as 'cynical and brazen'.
Aldo Esposito, owner of La Bella Vista in East Sussex, told how his restaurant was hit three times in three months, losing over £900. He criticised police for treating the matter as civil rather than criminal. Kate Nicholls of UKHospitality said margins are tight, with net profits under 4%, making such losses significant.
Donna Jones, police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, urged businesses to share images of offenders online to 'name and shame' them. However, a police spokesperson warned that publicly sharing images could lead to legal issues if the person is innocent, and encouraged reporting incidents to police with evidence.
