Alleged dine and dashers gorged on £400 price of food and drinks earlier than bolting

Police are trying to find a gaggle of 12 diners who allegedly loved a £400 meal earlier than strolling out with out paying.

Italian restaurant La Bella Vista in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex put out a warning figuring out the alleged dine-and-dashers and warning different native companies. The 4 ladies and eight youngsters indulged in starters, a Sunday particular of roast beef and a choice of pasta earlier than exiting the institution on January 7.

A invoice seen by The Mirror confirmed the group’s whole added as much as a whopping £425.38. Staff have been capable of nook one girl who was held within the restaurant till police arrived on the scene. It is assumed she was then frogmarched to a cashpoint the place she gave the restaurant “all she had”, amounting to £60.

The group allegedly pretended to seek out one thing of their meals and requested employees to scale back their invoice. Aldo Esposito, one of many house owners of the restaurant, mentioned: “It was a very traumatic situation for us. There were four ladies and eight children, and they had enjoyed their food until they pretended they had found something in the food.

“This was about midway via the meal however they carried on consuming.”

The restaurant additionally took to Facebook to warn different native enterprise house owners in St Leonards-on-Sea concerning the group. Posting snaps of the ladies allegedly concerned within the incident, the restaurant wrote: “Warning to all small business owners!

“This despicable group overtly walked into La Bella Vista this afternoon with their 8 youngsters, ordered over £400 price of food and drinks after which refused to pay. The police managed to get better £60 for us, a mere drop within the ocean!

This is the third time we have now been hit by teams like these within the final couple of months, so please bear in mind.”

The owners suspect one of the previous dine and dash groups was related to one of the women involved in Sunday’s alleged incident and said they used similar techniques to try to get away with not paying up. La Bella Vista said it has lost nearly £1,000 altogether in the three incidents.

Sussex Police confirmed the pressure are investigating the alleged incident. It can be believed a member of employees was assaulted throughout the ordeal.

A spokesperson for Sussex Police mentioned: “We can confirm we are investigating a report of a group of people making off without payment from a restaurant in St Leonards.

“The group are alleged to have left La Bella Vista in Grand Parade round 5pm on Sunday 7 January with out paying for his or her meal.

“A member of staff also reported being assaulted. Officers have attended the premises and engaged with staff and enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to report it online or call 101, quoting serial 748 of 07/01.”

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