A woman has spoken out after a viral video appeared to show her fleeing a restaurant without paying, claiming she had already settled her bill in cash. Mollie Birch, 28, was filmed by staff at Rancho Steakhouse in Liverpool after they alleged she left without paying her £59.25 bill.
The CCTV footage, widely shared on social media, shows Ms Birch leaving the restaurant and running down the street, with staff members chasing after her. In the video, a staff member can be heard saying: 'Not paying the money for the food. Can you come back, please?'
Ms Birch told the Liverpool Echo she dined alone at the restaurant on February 21, ordering Mexican dippers, a ribeye steak with chips, three pornstar martinis and a Kopparberg. She claims she paid the full amount in cash before leaving at around 8pm.
She later noticed a man filming her at Waterloo Station as she waited to return home to Bootle. The video has been viewed more than one million times. Ms Birch said she was unaware she was being filmed and believed the man was simply on his phone. She described feeling 'publicly humiliated' by the ordeal.
Restaurant manager Navin Thapa told the Echo that staff believed Ms Birch was acting suspiciously towards the end of her meal and allegedly left without paying when their backs were turned. He said the video was posted to warn other restaurants about the alleged behaviour.
Merseyside Police confirmed they are investigating both an allegation of making off without payment and a counter-allegation of harassment. They urged the public not to circulate videos of alleged offences online, as it can jeopardise investigations.
