One in 20 people have admitted to walking out of a restaurant without paying, and the phenomenon appears to be growing in Britain, leaving owners shaken and financially strained. Recent cases highlight the varied tactics used by perpetrators, from fake allergies to planting foreign objects in food, before fleeing without settling the bill.
This summer, a couple from Port Talbot, Ann and Bernard McDonagh, were jailed for a series of 'dine and dash' offences. Ann McDonagh received 12 months, while Bernard was sentenced to 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 claiming to fetch cash.
Aldo Esposito, owner of La Bella Vista in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, reported three incidents in three months. One group of four claimed a severe allergic reaction and rushed to hospital, leaving a £200 bill unpaid. Another group of 12 complained about a foreign object in their food, refusing to pay the £400 tab. In a third case, three women ran off after consuming £300 worth of drinks.
Donna Jones, the Conservative police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, says 'dine and dash' incidents are 'shooting up', linked to the cost-of-living crisis. However, she believes these are not typical thieves, as they often drive their own cars. She urged businesses to share images online to name and shame offenders.
Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, notes that while the number of incidents remains small, the impact on businesses is severe. 'These businesses operate on very tight net-profit margins – less than 4% – and often it can be quite big-spend items that people are going for,' she said. The cashflow loss is not reclaimable through insurance.
Police advise restaurant owners to report all incidents and present evidence, but warn that publicly sharing images of suspected offenders may not aid the criminal justice process and could lead to legal repercussions if the person is innocent.
