They ate, they drank, they ran away without paying the bill.
A large group of people went to Captain’s restaurant in Brighton, England, and escaped without paying the £200 bill.
According to the Dailymail news, restaurant owners Billy and Pam Sandhu, who provided the video of the moment the group of 11 people escaped, informed the police and asked customers to pay the bill immediately.
Pam, owner of the restaurant, said: “We had a group coming in on a busy day and we asked for £200 worth of food and drinks. Then they asked for the bill, looked at it and decided to all go together. Here we have a system that tells us if an account is still open and that’s when we realize it hasn’t been paid. We work hard and are one of the best restaurants in Brighton so it’s a shame someone comes and does this. “We have informed the police, but we have not found anything yet,” she said.
In the images shared by the restaurant owners, it can be seen that when one woman stood up, the rest of the group quickly gathered their belongings and quickly left with her.
THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE INCIDENT OF ESCAPE FROM THE BILL WITHOUT PAYING THE BILL
Sussex Police confirmed they were investigating reports of a “scam” at the restaurant in question. Commenting on the incident, Sussex Police spokesperson said: “It is alleged that a total of 11 people escaped from the restaurant without paying the meal fee. Officers have made contact with the informant and our investigations are ongoing. “Anyone who has any information about the incident is asked to report it,” he said.
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said there had recently been a rise in the number of offenses involving “ugly” eating. Jones had this to say about the incident:
*This is the most blatant example of theft I have ever seen. It’s a terrible thing that people shouldn’t do. This is a growing crime. This may be due to the cost of living crisis. But there’s no excuse for people to go to a restaurant, have a three-course meal and a bottle of wine, and then not pay for it. This is so ugly.
*From what we can see, those who usually do this are not the typical thieves like drug addicts or alcoholics. They leave in their own car. This is a terrible crime, especially when people are struggling to pay their bills and keep their businesses afloat. I urge people to share the images online and name and shame these people, as many business owners do.
The British Home Office announced that in a study carried out in recent years, 12,610 cases of absconding without payment were reported.